Never Regret
by HeartQueenVivaldi
Summary: Eren is about to start his third year of University, but he's not looking forward to it. He has no one to room with after Armin transfers to another school, so he has no choice but to have a random roommate. Upon arrival to his new room, he meets Levi Ackerman, a senior with a bad attitude and threats that would scare anyone away. LevixEren. M for adult themes. Nothing explicit.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, guys! So, this is a new one that I've come up with that I thought would be entertaining to write, at the very least. Levi and Eren are my OTP, at least for Attack on Titan anyways. I hope I have the motivation to continue this one as time goes on, but that will partly depend on my readers. Follows, favorites, and reviews keep me going. The rating may go up in later chapters, but for now I'm not sure what exactly I want to do with this one. Smut is a possibility later on. Let me know if any of you want to see anything specific happen between these two, also. I'm up for suggestions! Well, anyways, happy reading, and I hope you enjoy! -HeartQueenVivaldi**

Never Regret

" _The only thing we are allowed to do is to believe that we won't regret the choice we made."_ _-Levi Ackerman_

Eren was having a rough time wanting to go back to school for his third year of University. His best friend and regular roommate, Armin, wasn't going to be returning with him, rather he would be transferring to a different university better suited for his goals and degree. Eren was staying, though, and many of his other friends already had roommates, so he had to put in for a random one.

This would be the first year that he would be able to afford the bigger dorm rooms where he wouldn't have to share a bedroom with a stranger, and that was one of the only upsides to it. He hated that he didn't know who his roommate would be, and dreaded move-in day. When he received his paperwork telling him which room he was in, he was at least glad that they told him the other male's name: Levi Ackerman. That would be one less awkward conversation to start with.

Eren's sister, Mikasa, and Armin still wanted to help Eren move into his new dorm, and offered their assistance. Eren accepted the help without complaint, and on moving day he had all his things packed and ready to go when they showed up. All they had to do was load it into a car and they were off to the University about an hour away.

Upon arrival to the parking lot behind the building where he would call home for the next nine months, Eren grabbed a duffel bag of clothes, found his room key, and headed into the building to locate his room, leaving Mikasa and Armin to unload the car and organize a little to help them with carrying things up the stairs.

Eren climbed up to the second floor and walked down the hallway, reading room numbers as he went, when he got to room 217 on the right-hand side, he set down his bag and held his electronic key up to the door. When he heard the lock slide out of the way, he turned the handle and opened the door, grabbing his bag and entering. Previously, Eren had stayed in the smaller rooms that didn't have anything but two single beds, two desks, dressers that were built in under the beds, and a small bathroom that contained only a toilet and a sink. Meals were eaten in the cafeteria with everyone else, and showers were communal. This room was the complete opposite. There was a kitchen to his right with a dishwasher and everything. There was a peninsula bar and just beyond that he could see a hallway, where he assumed the bedrooms and bathroom would be. To his left was the living room, equipped with a television, coffee table, recliner chair, loveseat, and a couch.

Until this moment he had hoped he would be the first one there so that he could choose which room he wanted and unpack in relative peace and not under the eyes of a stranger, but there was no such luck. Sitting on the loveseat, watching Eren survey the room, was a dark-haired male that Eren could only assume was Levi. The two stared at each other, and for a moment all Eren could think was 'damn, he's hot'. The brunette couldn't look away from the grey-blue eyes that held him in a trance-like state, and was almost overcome with a desire to touch the hair that looked so soft. The haircut Levi sported perfectly outlined his face, and Eren was suddenly even more nervous, especially when he realized that the raven was glaring at him.

"Oh… ummm… hi...I... I'm Eren." The brunette dropped his bag by the door and walked forward with his hand outstretched. "It's nice to meet…" He never finished his sentence as his foot caught on the strap of his duffle bag and he tripped. Trying to catch himself, the boy took big steps, almost falling on his face as he moved forward, but eventually lost his balance completely and fell right into Levi's lap, the top of his head connecting solidly with a set of very hard abs, and his nose grazing the older man's zipper on his pants. When his momentum stopped, he collapsed on the raven's thighs, and before he knew what was happening, Levi had stood up, pushing Eren off and leaving him discombobulated on his ass in the middle of the room.

"Do you always make such an entrance? Or are you just stupidly trying to mess with me?" Levi glared down at the brunette, who cowered slightly from the look on the older male's face.

"Umm… well… neither… I can be kind of clumsy sometimes, especially when I'm nervous or anxious." Eren scratched the back of his head and stood up. "I'm really sorry. You are Levi, right?"

The raven grunted in return. "Look, kid. This is my last year of university, screw with me and you'll be dead. My usual roommate graduated last year, so I had no choice but to put up with a random one. Your bedroom is the one on the right, don't even think about setting foot in mine, leave my bathroom stuff alone, that's why it's mine, clean up after yourself, and leave me out of your clumsiness, got it? Seriously, I can't stand messy roommates, or ones that won't stay out of my space."

Eren stood there in silence for a moment to make sure Levi was done talking, and then nodded nervously. He turned without another word to retrieve his bag from the doorway, and went to his own room. He considered for a half of a second about opening the left door just to piss off the man behind him, but didn't entertain the idea for fear of having his balls chopped off or something to that effect.

His room was about the same size as the smaller dorms, but there was only one bed, a closet, and a desk, so there was a lot more floor space. It felt much bigger. Placing his bag on the bed, he left the apartment, ignoring Levi on his way out and went back down to the car, where Armin and Mikasa were just finishing up unloading his few things.

Mikasa saw him first and addressed him: "Hey, did you find the room? Is your roommate there?"

"Yes, to both questions." Eren answered back sourly, not bothering to expand on that.

"Well, what's he like?" Armin inquired when he noticed Eren wasn't going to explain anything without some probing.

Eren exploded a little at having to describe his asshole of a roommate. "What a joke! I can't believe I have to room with that piece of shit! For nine months, NINE! I'm going to go crazy living with that, Armin!"

"Come on, it can't be that bad." Mikasa tried to calm him, pulling his hands off Armin's upper arms where he had latched on during his little rant.

"Oh, no. Just you wait, you'll see. Grab a load, let's go! You can meet the asshole for yourself!" Eren yanked another duffle bag up over his shoulder, picked up a box with some books in it and a few picture frames with photos of all his friends and family, and started walking toward the building with Armin and Mikasa scrambling to grab the last few things and follow him.

The two friends had to practically run to keep up with Eren in his pissy mood. When they entered the room Eren went straight to his room, not even bothering to look at Levi, who was now typing on a laptop at the small kitchen table.

Mikasa looked over at the mysterious roommate, put her box on the peninsula, and held out a hand to the man. "I'm Mikasa, Eren's adopted sister, and this is Armin, Eren's best friend." She held a hand out to him and when he didn't take it she dropped her arm back down by her side and glared back at the man. "Well fine then. Have a nice day." She picked up her box, and headed for the room Eren had gone into, pushing Armin in the back to get him to move.

When they entered the room, Mikasa closed the door behind her. "What a jerk. He didn't say one word to me, and I was even polite."

Eren turned around from his spot in front of the desk where he was setting out pictures and putting books on a shelf, and looked at his sister, who was setting her box on the bed. "You know, had I not tripped he probably would have never said a word to me either, but because I fell right into his lap he had no choice but to insult me and practically tell me to stay the hell away from him. What a douche." Eren stood quietly for a minute watching Armin pull some t-shirts out of a duffle bag to put in a drawer in the closet, before he remembered how enraptured he had been by Levi's eyes and hair at first sight. "It's too bad he's so damn attractive. No, scratch that, he's downright sexy. If he wasn't such a dick, his would probably end up shoved up my ass."

Armin laughed at the comment, but Mikasa grimaced. "You know, just because you're gay doesn't mean you need to pull me into it. I really didn't need to know you saw him that way at all."

Armin chuckled again. "Come on Mikasa, he's got a point. The guy is attractive. Even you can admit that. It was a harmless comment. It's not like he was telling you about his sex life, he's just trying to prove a point."

"Yeah, alright." The three friends changed subject and finished unpacking Eren's things. When they had everything done they decided to order a pizza and see if there was anything good on TV.

When they went out to the living room, Levi was nowhere to be seen. Eren silently thanked whatever gods were watching over him in that moment, flopped down onto the rather comfortable couch and flipped on the television, scanning through the channels to see if anything good was on while Mikasa was on the phone with the pizza place. Armin sat next to him and they were soon swept up in a sitcom and munching away happily on a pepperoni pizza, until Levi came out of his room, that is.

The man grimaced and scrunched his nose in disgust at the sight before him. There was an empty pizza box on the coffee table with unfinished crusts left in it along with some crumpled up napkins. "Disgusting…" Eren looked up when he heard the quiet comment.

"Pardon me, what was that?" The brunette snapped when he realized what the other man had said.

"I said you're disgusting. Clean that mess up, you damn brat." Levi spat back at him.

"I'm not a brat, you are, and I'll clean it up in a minute. It's not like I planned on leaving it there for weeks on end. Just let us finish this episode, then I was going to walk them down to the car to see them off and take the box with me. Just chill, would ya?" He turned back to the television and Levi looked suddenly murderous. Mikasa caught the glare and nudged Armin who nodded, knowing exactly what she was thinking.

"You know, Eren, we've already seen this episode, and we really should be going before it gets dark." Armin and Mikasa stood, taking the empty pizza box with them and heading for the door.

Eren paled a little at the sight, but knew they would have to leave eventually, so he stood up with them, and followed them to the door. Mikasa grabbed her purse off the counter by the door and Eren went to open it.

When the door opened Eren was hit over the head by a fist. On the other side was a person that Eren didn't recognize. This person was suddenly frantic as Eren put a hand to the spot where he was just hit. "Oh, my goodness, I'm so sorry. The door just opened as I was about to knock. Are you okay?"

Eren chuckled and looked up to get a better look at the person in the doorway. It was a girl with brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, and glasses over a pair of big, brown eyes. She looked a little crazy, but concern was written all over her face. "Yeah, I'm okay, but may I ask who you are?"

The girl stood up straight now, laughing, all concern vanishing in an instant. "I'm Hanji, Hanji Zoe. Is Levi here?" She looked up over the three heads and spotted the raven in the background. "Which one of you is Eren?" Eren raised his hand as the woman rambled on. "I hope shorty hasn't given you too much trouble, he can be kind of grumpy, but don't worry, you get used to it. Also, when you get to know him he really is a nice guy. He's just _full_ of compassion and he really does care, you just have to learn to read behind that mean old face of his. He's got a temper though, so try not to get on his bad side. He's a real monster when he's angry. I think his height only makes it worse, too. He's so short, you see! I was his roommate all through college until this year, because I graduated!"

In all of Hanji's ranting, and as she continued, no one noticed Levi approaching from behind, he gently pushed Mikasa and Eren out of the way and knocked the woman on top of the head with his fist. "Stop talking, Shit-for-brains, or you'll be the one on my bad side." He stopped talking for just a second, then tacked on. "And don't call me shorty ever again, or I'll slice your tongue out of your mouth and throw it down the garbage disposal, do I make myself clear?"

Hanji nodded sheepishly, cowering slightly from the aura that surrounded Levi in that moment. The woman recovered quickly though, and threw her arm around Levi's shoulders, dragging him through the apartment and to the loveseat, sitting him down. As she started rambling to him, Eren and his friends slipped out into the hall and headed for the car.

"Geez, how on earth does that crazy woman handle him?" Mikasa complained once they got to the stairwell.

"Or better, how does he handle her?" Eren countered. They all laughed at that. The woman, Hanji, seemed like she was a lot like Eren, but even crazier and a lot more hyper. She would be difficult for anyone to handle, especially Levi.

"But can you believe Levi? I swear there's a stick shoved so far up his ass you could smell wood on his breath. For real, he wouldn't even wait a few minutes for us to clean up the box. He's such a tight ass." Eren rambled on, and his friends listened, nodding in agreement. When they reached the car Armin and Mikasa both gave him a hug, and went to get in the car.

Mikasa opened the door, but turned back around to address Eren one more time: "Good luck, Eren. I know it's going to be hard, but like that Hanji girl said, you might get used to it, and you may even find that you two get along better than you think. Just try not to blow up at him, okay?"

Eren nodded, watched as his friends drove away, and went back up to his new dorm room. When he went back in, Levi was missing again, but Hanji was staring at him with her crazy, brown eyes. Eren nodded to her and went to the kitchen to get one of the popsicles he had put in the freezer. He threw the wrapper away, and leaned against the counter, eating in silence. After a minute or so of awkward silence, Hanji approached him, eyes softening.

"Eren, you seem like a nice kid. I like you already and I've only known you for a matter of minutes. I want you to know that what I said earlier is truer than you know. Levi's really a nice guy once you get to know him. After a while you start to realize that he doesn't mean any of the threats, and he really does care, you know… I know he seems like the type of person you'd never get along with, but after a while…. well… that changes." Hanji went quiet for a moment as if debating whether she should continue or not. Eventually she seemed to come to a decision and finished the serious topic with one last sentence: "please…. don't let him push you away… he will try, just don't let him, okay?"

Eren nodded, not quite sure what to say. This girl was very nice, and she seemed to be sincere. He wanted to do what this stranger was requesting, but he didn't know if he would be able to, judging by how things had already played out, but for her sincerity he was willing to try.

The mood changed quickly after that, and the girl's eyes went wide and crazy again as she handed Eren a piece of paper. "That's my cell number, so if you need to ask questions I would be happy to answer them, especially since Levi can be kind of an asshole. First, I'll give you a couple of basics: One, Levi is a clean freak, so keep the place clean and he will be happier. Two, he has what we call a 'resting bitch face', so if he looks mean, just know that it's how he always looks." The girl laughed boisterously at that, and Eren couldn't help but smile at her frivolity, even as Levi walked around the corner, coming from the bathroom looking like he might _actually_ cut off her tongue.

Levi kicked her out quickly after that, telling her to leave him alone and spitting out another threat, and Eren quickly pocketed the piece of paper so that he could input the number into his phone when he got the chance. He figured he might need that later.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey Everyone! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I have two stories that I'm trying to keep up with at the moment, so it makes things a little harder than they should be... Hehe... my bad... This chapter is a little short. I was going to make it longer, but if I added the next part it probably would have been too long, so this is what you get for now. The next chapter will be longer, I promise! Anyways, happy reading, and don't forget to review! Suggestions and constructive criticism are always welcome, as usual.**

Never Regret

Chapter 2

Levi and Eren stood in the kitchen, looking at each other, not saying a word. Hanji had just been kicked out by Levi, and they were officially alone for the first time ever. The silence lasted a lot longer than Eren even thought possible, until his popsicle started melting and was running down the back of his hand. The younger boy panicked, swore, and turned to hold his hand over the sink so that none would get on the floor. He quickly cleaned up, and when he turned back around Levi was closing the door to his room, and he was gone again.

Eren didn't even know what to do at that point. He had hoped that his friends would stay longer, but his roommate had scared them away, so he had nothing to do, and it wasn't like he could hang out with Levi, and the older man had kicked Hanji out. He eventually settled for picking a movie from the few he had brought.

Just as the first movie ended and the credits started to roll, Levi re-emerged from the room, and sat on the love seat, facing away from Eren, feet up on the other cushion, phone in hand. He turned his head just enough so he could see Eren from the corner of his eye, and asked him to shut the tv off. Eren, not wanting to lose any fingers or something to that effect, did as he was told.

Once it was quiet in the room, Levi spoke, being nice to Eren for once. "Are you hungry? There's a good Chinese place just around the corner, and I was going to order some takeout. Do you want some? Delivery is cheaper if you order more." Levi kept tapping away at his phone as he spoke, obviously looking for the number for the restaurant. When he found it he stopped before pressing send, and looked expectantly at Eren with a glare in the mix when the boy didn't answer.

Truthfully, Eren had been so surprised by Levi's temporary kindness he hadn't known how to react, but when he noticed Levi's face turning to a scowl he shook his head slightly and stumbled over an answer. "Um, well, I just had pizza not too long ago, but I could eat it later, I guess. Chances are, I'll be hungry later."

Levi nodded, but responded sourly. "It's not for right now, you brat. On move-in day you have to order early to even get anything there. It most likely won't even be here for a few more hours."

"Well you could have said that, you know." Eren spat back.

"Do you want anything or not, brat?" Levi's scowl deepened, and Eren grunted in distaste.

"Stop calling me that, and that's fine. I like their Tangerine Chicken with Chow Mein noodles and white rice."

Levi lifted one slim eyebrow as Eren countered him. "You've eaten there before, then?"

"I have lived on campus for two years now. I've ordered at all the takeout places around here. I'm a junior you know, not a freshman."

"Really, because based on your bratty attitude I would have guessed freshman right off the bat."

"Stop with the brat thing, and order the food already. I'm going to go take a shower." Eren stood up and left Levi to order the food, but as he put the remote back on the coffee table, Levi had to put in his last two bits.

"Good, because you stink, damn brat." Eren turned around, ready to punch the other male in the face, but upon seeing the other's hard expression decided better of it, and he simply turned around and stalked off to get his bathroom things from his room.

After showering, Eren returned to the living room in a pair of dark skinny jeans and a tight, black shirt. Levi was still sitting on the couch, but now he had a binder open in front of him with a pencil in hand. The pencil threw Eren off, because most students always used a pen. He didn't seem to be writing words, either. The strokes he was making with the pencil were too strange to be words.

It was when Levi started tapping his fingers on the paper in a sort of rhythm that Eren started to understand and noticed the keyboard set up against the wall next to the other male's room. "What's your major, Levi?" The raven stopped his tapping momentarily to shoot the brunette a heated glare.

"Is that any of your business, brat?"

"I'm just curious. I've watched a friend do something similar to what you are doing now, and he's a pianist." Eren cocked his head to the side after Levi closed his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh.

"I'm a piano major. I'm working on an arrangement. Are you happy now that you've messed me up and I have to start over?" Levi glared at the boy and Eren muttered a quick apology before Levi continued. "Listen brat, I have to work on this. The food will be here in a little while, but until then I really need you to be quiet. Find a quiet way to occupy yourself, will you?"

"Fine, but stop calling me a brat, asshole." Eren turned to fetch his sketchbook from his room and his art pencils. He figured he would try drawing something to calm his nerves. Once he re-emerged he looked around for something to sketch. His eyes landed on the keyboard sitting just to his right.

He sat on the couch, leaning on the armrest closest to the keyboard, and started to sketch. It didn't take him long to finish the simple drawing of the keyboard, shading and all, and was quickly looking for something else to add to his sketchbook.

His teal eyes, after scanning the room, fell on his roommate. The other boy looked peaceful as he alternated between writing and tapping on the papers in front of him. It was the first time Eren had ever seen Levi without a scowl on his face. In fact, his face was relaxed and his posture comfortable. His head tilted to the right every time he tapped out a rhythm as if he were listening to the music he was silently playing.

Eren's heart skipped a beat when he realized just how handsome the man sitting across the room from his was. He decided to draw his roommate. Portraits were one of his favorite things to draw with pencil, and hands were another, so he decided to capture the whole scene with his pencils. He spent the better part of close to two hours on his sketch of Levi. He took extra time and care to get the eyes and hair just right, and then later, his hands. He decided early in the drawing that he liked it best when Levi was playing his silent piano, so that was what he captured.

When he was done, he was left with his best sketch ever, especially considering that his model was constantly moving throughout the whole thing. He had captured the mood perfectly with the shading and texture effects he had put into the drawing. Levi's hair looked just as soft in the drawing as it did in real life, and his hands were just as delicate.

Eren stared at the sketch for a few more moments until there came a knock on the door. Eren was then grateful that he had finished his art piece, because Levi got up to get the door, and the boy would have lost his chance to finish it.

As Levi stood to get the door, Eren closed the sketchbook and placed it on the coffee table. He reached into his back pocket to retrieve his wallet to help pay for the food. He walked over, handed Levi a ten-dollar bill, and walked back into the living room. Levi paid for the food and went into the kitchen, Eren following close behind.

Levi unpacked the bag of food, giving Eren his, and they plated it up and went to eat on the couches in the living room. Eren sat back in his spot at the armrest by the keyboard, and Levi took the spot opposite him.

They ate mostly in silence, until Levi decided to break the quiet atmosphere. "I'm surprised you were able to stay quiet for that long, brat. What were you doing?"

"Is that any of your business?" Eren mocked what Levi had said earlier and the raven cocked a thin eyebrow.

"Considering the fact that you pried into my life and I answered, I think it's only fair that I know a little bit more about yours."

"Alright, fine. I'm an artist. That's my major, even, so I was drawing." Eren shoveled another forkful of tangerine chicken into his mouth and Levi pried more.

"What were you drawing? You were very focused on it, whatever it was."

Eren stayed quiet for a minute, eyeing the sketchbook that sat on the coffee table between Levi and himself. Eventually he settled on an answer. "That's not any of your business, and it really wasn't anything."

"I know what the first thing was that you drew. It was the keyboard. You were very focused on it, but you finished that quickly. You moved on to something else, but I didn't know what. It took up the majority of your time, though. It must have been interesting."

Eren stayed quiet then, and retrieved the book from the coffee table to place between himself and the armrest. "Can I see it?" Eren's head snapped up at the question.

He immediately knew how to counter that one. "Can I hear what your arranging?" The space between them was suddenly thick as neither wanted to show the other their talents. "You show, I show, that's how this works, Levi."

"It's not done yet, brat." Eren laughed a little at that.

"Who said mine was?"

Levi smirked. "I know the first one is, or you wouldn't have moved on to the something else."

"How about this: when you play the piano for me I'll show you some of my drawings, deal?" Eren held out his hand to shake Levi's, sealing the deal.

Surprisingly, Levi took Eren's hand, and they shook firmly before falling back into a comfortable silence. Eren reveled in the feeling of Levi's hand. It had been soft, but he could feel callused skin on his fingertips from years of playing music. It made Eren wonder if you really could get calluses from playing the piano, or if Levi played another instrument as well.

They ate quickly and Levi went back to tapping on his paper and writing notes down after cleaning up the dishes. Eren had finished his drawing, so he played a game on his phone for a while until Levi got up, pulled some ear buds out of his pocket, and approached the keyboard. Eren smirked. "You know, you could let me listen and then you would see my drawings, right?"

"When I play for you, brat, it will be on a real piano, not this piece of shit keyboard. This is just to check rhythm and harmony. I don't even have any pedals on this thing." Levi looked over at the instrument with a look of absolute disgust on his face.

"Whatever you say…" Eren fell quiet again, and Levi sat down, plugged the buds in, and started moving his fingers across the keys in a way that mesmerized the Brunette. He couldn't even hear what was being played, but he was already fascinated. Levi would stop frequently to play something a few times, erase notes, or add in new ones.

Eren watched his hands move and cross each other for a long time before he decided he would kill himself sitting there watching something he couldn't hear, so he turned away from the keyboard and picked up his sketchbook again to find something else to draw, and, not seeing anything of interest, free-handed something random, listening to the clicking of the plastic keys behind him all the while.

The night passed quicker and quieter than Eren had ever expected it to, and before long he was yawning and closing his sketchpad for the night. He muttered a quick goodnight to Levi, who was now sitting on the loveseat reading a book, and made his way to his room.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey, guys. I'm back. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I'll try to be better about updating in the future, I promise. I have a good excuse though! School started, and college is hard when you actually start into a degree in comparison to just doing general classes. But I guess, regardless of school, my real reason is writers block. It really sucked guys. I didn't know how to get this chapter to move. I figured it would be better to take the time and figure it out than make it a really rough, incoherent chapter. Quality over quantity, right? I hope it turned out okay. The next chapter will be a little more exciting with the boys starting their classes and stuff. Anyways, I hope you enjoy! Happy reading and don't forget to favorite, follow, and review! ~HeartQueenVivaldi**

Chapter 3

Eren woke up the next day, Saturday, to the sound of a crash in the kitchen just outside his bedroom door. He bolted out of bed and flung the door open to see what had happened, and to make sure that whoever was out there was okay. He was met with a pile of pots and pans on the floor that had been previously hanging on the wall behind the stove, and Hanji on her ass on the tile. She seemed to be okay, but had her hands on the back of her head as if she had hit it.

The brunette heard a sigh to his right, and turned to see Levi in a near-see-through, tight, white tank top and dark skinny jeans. His eyes were murderous, though, and Eren shied away a little. He emerged the rest of the way out of his room and approached the kitchen. Eren was already nervous for the other brunette. "Seriously, four-eyes? I left for two seconds, and this is what happens?" He lifted his hand and Eren, for a moment, thought he might hit her, but his assumption was wrong. Rather he held out a hand to help the woman up off the floor.

She took it, explaining as she stood. "I don't know what happened, Levi. I just reached up to pull a pan off the wall for us to make breakfast with, and the next thing I knew, all of the other ones came with it." Levi lifted one slim eyebrow at her, then turned to the wall.

After a quick examination of the wall, Levi spoke again. "It looks like you pulled the rack out of the tile somehow. I'm not sure how you managed it, but it can be fixed." Levi turned back to the mess on the floor. "Now, let's get this mess cleaned up."

Eren yawned as Hanji and Levi picked up the pans and put them on the counter. The brunette looked at the time on the microwave and figured it was about time for him to be awake anyways, so returned to his room to put on a pair of jeans and the black shirt he had on the night before.

When he returned, Levi and Hanji had finished cleaning up the mess of pots and pans, and were looking at the broken wall bracket. They had stacked the mess on the counter by the sink, and Levi was saying he was going to call dorm maintenance and they would come fix it.

Eren sat on a stool at the peninsula bar and addressed Hanji. "Are you okay? Did one of them hit your head?"

The woman turned, flashing Eren a big smile, and nodded. "yeah, one did hit me right on the top of the head, but it's no big deal. I'm alright."

Levi turned to her then, still on the phone with maintenance, and put in his own two bits to the situation. "Leave it to glasses here to make a mess." He turned away again and after another short conversation, hung up the phone. "They'll be here to fix it today. Until then, the break got the stove dirty. We shouldn't cook on it until that's fixed. We can go out to breakfast. I'll pay, but we're not eating here."

"Are you sure, Levi? We could just clean the stove so we don't have to spend the extra money, and…." Eren was interrupted then.

"No way." Levi shot a glare in Eren's direction.

"But…" He interrupted again.

"I said no, and that's that. Money isn't an issue, I'm good there. Let's just go get in the car, and stop asking questions. It's amazing I've gotten along with Hanji for so long with all of her stupid questions." With that Levi got his keys off the hook by the door and left, Hanji and Eren looked at each other with baffled looks before scrambling to follow before he left them.

They ran down the stairs, following Levi. Eren was surprised by how fast he could move with his short legs. They walked down into the parking lot, and Eren looked around wondering which car belonged to his roommate. Levi started walking and approached the last car he ever thought Levi, or any student for that matter, would drive: a new Audi A3. Eren knew he could never afford an Audi with his current situation. He had a job, but used his paycheck to pay for other necessities, like tuition and food. He had a small scholarship, but it didn't cover everything, so he didn't even drive a car so that he could be in school in the first place.

Eren had stopped in place to admire the car he was about to get into, and after a minute Levi turned around after opening the driver's side door, and yelled at Eren. "Hey, brat. You getting in, or are you just going to stand there gawking?"

The brunette watched Hanji hop into the passenger seat, and Eren followed her, getting in the back. Levi started the car and pulled smoothly from his parking spot. They stopped at the entrance to the lot, and Levi asked where they wanted to eat. After debating, Levi and Hanji finally agreed on going to IHOP, because everyone could get what they wanted there.

On the way, Eren didn't say a word. He simply sat in the back seat with a hand on the leather bench next to him, admiring how soft it was for being leather, and wondered why Levi wasn't using the very nice stereo that was currently turned off. He didn't dare ask, though, not wanting to be yelled at again by his roommate that was going to pay for his breakfast.

The meal went smoothly, for the most part. Hanji had ordered crepes, and was making a mess with the syrup, so Levi had furiously cleaned her face for her, and to top it off, chastised her in the middle of the meal. Eren was careful with his French toast after that, not wanting to infuriate the other male further by making a mess with his own syrup and powdered sugar.

When they returned home, Levi wouldn't let Hanji back in the dorm, and glared at her until she went home. She finally relented, teasing Levi about something or another that Eren didn't quite catch, nor understood when he finally caught a couple of words.

Levi pushed her the rest of the way out as she was yelling goodbye to Eren. He closed the door and turned around to walk into the kitchen when there was a knock on the door, and Levi had no choice but to turn around. On the other side of the door was not Hanji as Eren had expected, but a man with some tools in hand, looking rather miserable. "I'm here to fix a rack in the kitchen." The man announced obviously.

Levi's scowl deepened as he looked from the man's bearded face down to his clearly dirty boots. The short man grimaced, but let the other in, who immediately approached the wall to begin his work. He was there for a while, and eventually Levi got tired of watching the mess the man was making, and disappeared into his bedroom.

Eren remained in the living room, though. He had briefly gone to his room when the man arrived, but only for a moment to grab a sketchbook and some pencils. He drew a few things while the man was there. He was in a zone, totally immersed in his sketch of the apartment itself when he was pulled from his trance by the sound of a vacuum. He looked up to see the man sucking up the mess he had made on the stovetop and counter. At least he was making an effort.

The maintenance man announced that it was finished, but not to hang anything on it for a few hours while the glue set in, and left without another word, taking his tools and little vacuum with him. The man had been fairly grumpy, and Eren wondered what his problem was.

He didn't have long to wonder before he heard an annoyed sound coming from the other man he lived with. "What?" Eren inquired of the other male, wondering why he looked so disgusted.

Levi was looking at the newly mounted pan rack with a face that screamed displeasure, so Eren got up to look at what he saw. When he could see nothing wrong with the scenery in front of him, he inquired of the man again, "What? It's not like he hung it crooked, and he cleaned up the dust."

That was when Levi turned to him, appalled at what Eren had said. "No, shit-stain, he didn't clean up anything. It's horribly filthy." The raven then scrunched up his nose.

"He did, though. I watched him vacuum the dust…"

Levi interrupted, "Just because he vacuumed, doesn't mean he cleaned." To prove his point, Levi approached said stove, ran two fingers across it, and held the fingers out to Eren, who approached and looked at the rather large amount of wood and tile dust Levi's fingers held. He grimaced and turned to get a better look at the stove.

"Oh… That's gross… How did you even see that anyways?" Eren turned to Levi, who was rinsing his fingers in the kitchen sink. "I would have never noticed until I went to cook on it."

"And that's the big difference between you and me, isn't it, brat?" Levi turned to get a rag out of a drawer to start cleaning up the mess.

"Stop calling me a brat, and I guess it is." Eren fell silent for a moment, leaning on the counter watching Levi clean. "Would you like some help?"

Levi turned to Eren. "No, I have a particular way I clean, and you'll just mess it up. Go sit down and draw or something. Just stay out of my way, brat."

"Fine. Just know I offered, asshole." Eren returned to his place on the sofa with his drawing of the kitchen. He looked up to see Levi standing on his tiptoes, trying to wipe the wall, and decided to add Levi into the drawing. He took a mental screenshot of the moment so he could add it in, knowing Levi wouldn't be there for long.

He immersed himself in drawing again until he watched Levi sit at the little keyboard. Again, the older male plugged in some ear buds so that Eren couldn't hear the music, and the brunette shook his head, wishing he could hear what was being played instead of just the light tapping of plastic on plastic.

After a minute of watching Levi's fingers dance across the keys, Eren went back to drawing. After a few more minutes he was startled by a sudden "shit" from Levi. The brunette looked up to see Levi with a look of deep concentration on his face as he tapped the keys a little slower than before. He shook his head and played slower still, and Eren was suddenly confused by the raven's actions.

A few more minutes of this and the older male ripped his headphones out of the jack and stormed off to his room, taking his binder of music with him and slamming the door behind him. Eren chuckled a little at the sudden act of frustration. ' _For someone who has spent so much time at the piano trying to learn, he sure is impatient when it comes to learning something new.'_

Eren sat on the sofa a while longer, sketching, before his eyelids started to feel heavy and he put his pencil and sketchbook on the floor next to him, laying down to take a short nap. It didn't take long for him to fall into a peaceful sleep.

It didn't last nearly as long as he would have liked though. He was awakened by a rather hard hit to his head. When Eren looked up to see what he had been hit with, he wasn't surprised to see Levi standing over him, a glare on his face and a rolled up bunch of paper. "Did you just hit me with that?" The brunette pointed to the roll of papers.

"Yes, I did. If you want to nap, do so on your bed, not on the couch. There are other people in the world who might want to use it, you know." Levi's glare became scarier as Eren just gaped at him in disbelief.

After Eren gathered his senses, he countered Levi's comment. "You could have asked me nicely. You didn't have to hit me. Geez, you're such an ass. Seriously."

Levi walked towards the kitchen after Eren's comment, and scoffed when he turned away. "Whatever. It's getting late. I'm making dinner, do you want some? And, yes, I'm offering even after you called me an asshole."

Eren looked at the clock on the microwave to see it was already after 4 o'clock, and he had spent so much time drawing he had even skipped lunch. His stomach rumbled, pulling him from his thoughts to see Levi standing in the kitchen, waiting for an answer. "Oh… umm… yes, please. I'm starving."

Levi nodded and turned around to put a pan on the stove. He reached up above his head to grab at only air. That was when he realized that all of the pans were still on the counter. He groaned, moving to the pile to replace them on the rack.

Eren had gotten up off the couch to put his notebook away, and when he returned to the kitchen, Levi had already started on putting chicken into a pan with some seasonings. The aroma made the brunette's stomach growl again, and he approached Levi at the stove. "This smells amazing." He paused, smelling the air, "What are you making?"

"Chicken." Levi replied simply.

"Would you like help? I'm not a bad cook. I can hold my own in the kitchen." Eren was surprised when Levi nodded his head and pointed to a cupboard.

"There's a rice cooker under there. Get it out and start enough rice for the two of us." Then there was a beeping coming from the door akin to that of when the door was unlocked, and a tall, blonde man walked in, Hanji following close behind. "I thought I told you to go home, shitty glasses." He paused for a minute. "And how did you get in here?"

"Well, Erwin," the woman gestured to the blonde next to her, "wanted to see your dorm. How I got in is actually a secret." The woman laughed at her own answer.

Then the blonde spoke for himself, "And I also wanted to meet Eren. Hanji told me a lot about him."

Levi sighed, rubbing his temple with his fingers. "Fine, whatever. Are you going to be eating with us?"

Erwin smiled. "We would love to eat with you. How can we pass up the cooking of Levi Ackerman?"

Eren cocked his head, catching that last sentence. ' _So, he really can cook if this guy's reaction is anything to go by.'_ Then Levi turned to him, and revised a previous statement.

"Never mind. Make enough rice for the four of us." The raven turned to stir the chicken in the pan. "And when you're done with that you can start the vegetables."

Eren nodded and turned to make the rice. When he had it in the cooker he was pulled from his next task by the new man in the room. "So, you must be Eren." Erwin greeted the shorter Brunette. "I've heard some things about you from Hanji, and I thought she was exaggerating when she said you were adorable, but it turns out she was right." He smiled a dazzling smile at the young man that was trying to get going on the veggies before Levi snapped at him.

"Oh…well, thank you." Eren blushed, turning to ask Levi where the vegetables were. Levi pointed to a cupboard.

"There's canned veggies up there. You can choose between corn and green beans. Put them in a pan with some water." Eren nodded, doing as he was told.

When he was finished with his part, Levi had nothing left for him to do but wait, so he sat at the bar with Hanji and Erwin. The brunette noticed a sideways glance from the blonde next to him, and was a little creeped out. "Wow. What did you do to him?"

Eren looked back, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Levi won't let anyone cook with him, so how did you earn the privilege?" Erwin glanced at Levi, who was shooting a heated glare in the blonde's direction.

"Umm… I just asked… I don't know…" Eren blushed, but Levi saved him from further investigation.

"Hey, eyebrows." Erwin looked to the shorter male expectantly. "Would you shut your trap? I was hoping to get some peace and quiet around here tonight, but it looks like you're here, and that you'll be here for a while. The least you could do is keep your mouth closed." He sent a pointed look to Hanji then. "You too, shitty glasses."

The room stayed quiet for a while then, everyone waiting for Levi to finish cooking. Then finally, they were all looking at full plates of chicken, rice, and corn. Eren's mouth watered and his stomach grumbled loudly. Hanji laughed, hearing Eren's loud belly. "I guess that's our cue to dig in, huh, Eren?"

Eren blushed and decided not to answer her, shoveling some food into his mouth instead. Eren moaned at the flavor that exploded in his mouth. The chicken wasn't dry and bland like it was when most people made chicken. It was moist and full of flavor. The seasonings Levi used all blended together really nicely and made the meat unique. "Wow, Levi. This is amazing!" The brunette exclaimed after swallowing his first bite.

Levi grunted a quick thank you, and everyone ate the meal in silence. When they were done, Eren gathered the plates to wash them, his way of saying thanks to Levi for the food. While Eren washed the plates and forks, Erwin, Levi, and Hanji went to sit on the couches.

Erwin spoke to Levi. "So, are you still majoring in piano this year?" Eren heard an affirmative sound from his roommate. "Good. I was hoping you would just stick to it."

Levi scoffed. "Why? What's it to you?"

"I love listening to you play the piano. It's incredible. It always has been." It was quiet for a minute, and Eren turned to see Erwin and Levi staring each other down. This confused the brunette, until Levi finally broke the silence.

"I know what you want, and it's not going to happen, you big-ass tree."

"Aww, Levi. Why not?" Hanji whined at the raven.

"Because, the keyboard sucks, and I've already practiced for hours today. I'm not playing for you right now."

Hanji pouted at his reply. "But, Levi. We never get to hear you play anymore. You should really play for us more often. You're so good at it."

"I don't care how good at it I am. I'm not going to play for you today."

Hanji complained at him some more until Levi finally groaned and made a compromise. "Fine. I won't play today, but Eren asked to hear me play. I don't want to play for him until I'm at a real piano where I have pedals and a richer sound. We made a deal. He's an artist, so when I play the piano for him, he will show me his drawings. When I play for him, I'll invite you. Deal?"

The woman squealed like a little girl. "So we would get to hear you play on a real piano? Can it be a grand piano? Will you play that Mozart song?" Levi held up a hand and clapped it over the woman's mouth.

"One at a time. Yes, to all three questions. That won't be for a while still, but I will play, for all of you." Hanji squeaked excitedly again. A little while later, Levi was ushering them out the door.

The two roommates sat quietly on the couches, each doing their own respective work before Levi bid Eren goodnight and went to his room. Eren followed soon after to his own room. The brunette was fast asleep the second his head hit the pillow.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey Guys! Sorry it's been so long since I updated. Life got crazy there for a bit, but I'll spare you all the horrid details of my insane life. Anyways, I made this chapter really long to make up for it with a lot of Eren/Levi banter. I think you'll enjoy this chapter, so here it is, and hopefully I will have more time to write from here on out. Happy Reading ~HeartQueenVivaldi**

Never Regret

Chapter 4

Sunday passed quickly for the boys of dorm 217. They were only interrupted by Hanji once, and Levi promptly kicked her out telling her to not come back unless it was an emergency or she would have her feet cut off, or something to that effect. Needless to say, they didn't see her again.

The boys spent their last day of summer preparing for classes, shopping, drawing and playing the piano respectively, napping, and Eren had Mikasa over for lunch one last time before she became busy with her own schedule at the university across town.

Levi was out while they sat together, eating their noodles and talking on the couch. Mikasa was very curious about her brother's new roommate and asked many questions. "Is he still an asshole?"

"Yeah, but he's getting better, believe it or not." Eren paused for a minute, pondering his answer. "It's like what Hanji said is true or something. He really is nice deep down, he just doesn't know how to show it. Like yesterday, he took the three of us out to eat because the pan rack came out of the wall and made a mess on the counter." The brunet pointed at the wall, continuing to speak as his sister glanced at the wall above the stove. "Even though it was all threats and glares, I could tell he at least cared about Hanji."

"What makes you say that?" Mikasa looked back at him curiously.

"He was rude, but it was like he was being rude to keep her from embarrassing herself in the restaurant. I don't know." They fell silent for a minute. "Then again, it could simply be because he is a clean freak and was truly irritated about her little mess."

Mikasa asked a few more questions about other, more pleasant things before she had to leave and prepare for her own classes. On her way out Levi re-entered the apartment, glaring more than usual. Mikasa slipped out the door, the shorter male only glared harder when Eren asked him what was wrong, and he slammed the door closed behind the female leaving the room.

Eren didn't see him again for a few hours as he disappeared into his room. He only came back out to make something quick for dinner and then sit at the keyboard. Eren thought, from the extra loud clicking of the keys, that Levi was playing a little harder than necessary.

The brunet wondered what had changed his roommates attitude so quickly, as he had left in a fairly pleasant mood for being Levi, until he caught a glimpse of the papers sitting on the keyboard. Levi was playing furiously, reading the music covered in marks of constant change. There was another manuscript sitting on top and to the side of the keys that Eren couldn't quite see, but could see red marks covering it that the brunet had never seen before.

Apparently, as far as Eren could tell, Levi had gone to have his work checked and hadn't had a good response, putting his roommate in a sour mood. But as Levi played, his fingers slowed, and he started to not play as hard. This was an epiphany moment for Eren to help him understand his roommate just a little bit better. He plays the piano to relieve stress and worry. He uses the keys to release pent up energy and relax, to keep his emotions in check.

It was in this moment that Eren put two and two together. He had wondered how Levi could learn music the way he has, especially after making a few mistakes the other day and storming off, but now it all made sense. He learned in frustration, and fell in love with the action in the process. The music was his way of calming his own nerves and getting a grip on his own emotions and actions.

Once Levi had calmed down and Eren felt as if he understood his roommate just a little bit better, they once again fell back into their already developing routine, and before long, Eren found himself curling up in his bed to sleep.

The harsh beeping of his alarm clock is what woke him up the next day, and Eren groaned in response to the sound, reaching over to his nightstand to turn the horrid sound off. The brunet slid out of the bed and made his way to the bathroom across the hall to brush his teeth and relieve his bladder. When he looked in the mirror he could only sigh. His hair was a complete mess, more so than usual anyways.

No matter what Eren did, he could never seem to get his hair to lay flat on his head, it was always sticking up every which way, but this particular morning was worse than usual. One half of his head was matted down, and the other half made him look like he had been electrocuted or something, standing perfectly on end.

The boy took his hairbrush from the drawer and started to work through the gnarled mess he called his hair. At a knock on the bathroom door, he started, and yelped, surprised at the sound. He opened the door to see a glaring and pissed off looking Levi. "Oi, brat. Are you done in there? I have to take a piss." At second glance, Eren noticed that Levi was wearing workout clothes and was covered in a sheen of sweat that could be seen on his exposed arms from his tank top, and on his forehead.

Eren rolled his eyes, put his brush down and left the room so Levi could relieve himself. When Levi re-emerged from the restroom he no longer looked like he had just walked in from a workout. Eren decided the other man had it much easier. Eren had only finished brushing half of his hair, and he knew the other half was bound to be a mess, and Levi's already had been parted and combed into his usually perfect style, and was already showered and dressed.

By the time Eren had tamed his hair as much as he could, picked an outfit, packed his backpack, and was putting his shoes on, he was already running late. When he ran out of his room, Levi raised an eyebrow at him while he cooked some eggs, Eren putting two pieces of bread in the toaster and tapping his foot while waiting. "What time's your first class, brat?"

"Nine, and I'm already late… and on the first day." Eren whined the last part, and Levi rolled his eyes, flipping his eggs.

"And whose fault is that?" Levi replies with snark and a smirk.

"Not mine. My hair is a nightmare sometimes in the morning, and this morning happened to be one of those days. I mean, you saw it." Eren eyed the older student for a reaction.

"So it is your fault." Levi kept a blank face, watching Eren from the corner of his eye as the brunette threw his hands in the air.

"No, it's not. It's my stupid hair's fault!" Eren was starting to become irritated.

Levi could tell, and decided to see how far he could push this brat before he exploded. "And it's your hair, so ultimately it's still your fault."

Eren groaned heavily, not quite believing his ears. "Whatever, asshole."

"You know, if you ever want me to stop calling you a brat, you should stop calling me an asshole." Levi chided, flipping his eggs over.

Eren looked to his roommate, disbelief clearly written all over his face. "Are you for real, right now?"

Levi looked back blankly at the question. "Pardon?"

Eren scoffed. "Unbelievable. You called me a brat first."

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did, that's how I decided you are an asshole." Eren turned to butter his toast that just popped up.

"Whatever…" Levi paused what he was saying, knowing he would tip Eren over the edge. He was so predictable. "…Brat."

Eren closed his eyes, trying not to completely explode. "Say I did stop calling you the asshole that you clearly are, would you truly even stop."

Levi turned his head, as expressionless as ever, and looked Eren directly in the eyes. "No promises."

The brunette was ready to scream from frustration. "Then why mention it?" His teeth were clenched tight, his face screwing up in rage.

"Just a thought." Levi scooped his eggs from the pan and onto a plate, pulling a fork out of the drawer. The raven glanced at the clock on the oven and pointed with his fork. "Oh, look. It's almost nine." He looked up at Eren again, amusement in his eyes, clearly pleased with himself. "You better start running, Brat." He turned on his heel, walking towards the table to sit and eat his breakfast.

Eren, on the other hand, wasn't so peaceful. "Shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" The boy shoved a piece of toast in his mouth, chewing as fast as he could, walking around the peninsula to get his backpack off of the bar stool he set it on. Once he swallowed, he turned to his smug, pleased roommate. "You ASSHOLE! You made me late!"

Levi put a piece of egg in his mouth, chewing slowly and swallowing before answering. "Nope. You did that all on your own, Brat."

Eren ran to the door, picking up his other piece of toast on the way out, muttering under his breath on the way. Little did Eren know, Levi heard every word he said. "Fucking asshole. He did this shit to me on purpose."

As the door slammed closed, Levi let a devilish grin spread across his face as he took another bite of his eggs. That had worked better than he thought it would. This year was bound to be fun, if Eren was going to be like that every day.

Eren ran across campus as fast as he could, trying not to choke on the toast in his mouth. He ran to his classroom, opened the door, and took a deep breath when he realized the professor wasn't there yet. He scanned the room quickly, seeing if there was anyone he knew. There were a few, but the seats around them were all full, so he just took a seat in the back. This would be one of his more boring classes anyways: History of Art. Just lovely.

Eren tried his best to take good notes, but the professor was known to be a boring one, and he found himself doodling before long, and zoning out. He was pulled from his trance by someone sitting next to him passing him a note. _You should totally teach me how to draw like that._ Eren looked over and saw this girl with a brown ponytail. He didn't know her, but he could already tell she was trying to flirt with him. Then Eren realized something else: What the hell was he drawing? He looked down to see a familiar, scowling eye. He had put a lot of detail into it, and it looked good, but he didn't want it to, he was mad at the owner of those eyes for making him late this morning.

He groaned quietly, turning back to his notes and writing on the little piece of paper and handing it back to the girl. _I wish I knew how I did that. I wasn't even paying attention to what I was doing. It's just natural for me._ The girl nodded after reading the note and started scribbling away again.

 _Well, it's really good. I wish I could draw, even a little. Hey, would you like to go out to lunch with me today?_ Eren read the little note, writing one back.

 _Sure. What's your name?_ Eren knew she would think of it as a date, but he didn't care. He would just be glad to have someone to eat lunch with today.

 _Kim, you?_

 _Eren. I get out of my next class at 11:30. I could meet you somewhere._ He watched the girl, Kim, read the note and tap her pen against her lower lip, thinking.

 _Sure, how about that café down the street?_

Eren knew the one she was talking about, so he nodded to her, pocketing the note. When class ended she stood up next to him and told him she would see him later. The brunette nodded, not saying anything, or even having a chance to before she was gone. He shrugged, heading to his next class: Methods of art. This would be one of his favorite classes. It would be the one where he learned more about the different types of art and how they worked.

The class passed quickly with his interest, and before long he found himself walking down the road to meet Kim at the café. He wasn't necessarily looking forward to it, knowing she would try to flirt with him. He would probably have to tell her at some point today that he was gay. That's never really a pleasant conversation.

He walked in the door to Café Sina, and the smell of coffee hit him hard. He looked around and saw Kim at a booth in the corner, waving at him. He smiled and walked over to her, sitting down after a simple greeting.

A waiter walked over and took their orders, and left them alone. They talked for a while, and eventually, as Eren expected, she got bold and took hold of Eren's hand that was resting on the table. He pulled away, and sighed. She looked hurt, and he quickly tried to diffuse the escalating situation. "Hey, It's nothing against you, Kim. There's a good explanation for this."

She was suddenly furious. "What explanation? You have a girlfriend, don't you?!"

Eren sighed and chuckled a little.

"What are you laughing at? It's not funny." She was still angry, obviously.

"Well, Kim. No, I don't have a girlfriend, and I'm sorry, but I don't really want one." She tilted her head, now confused. "Umm… I'm gay, Kim. I like guys."

Suddenly this was all very funny for Kim, and she started laughing. Eren lifted an eyebrow. "Oh my goodness, and here I was thinking it was because you hated me."

"Oh, man. No way. I like you, I just couldn't like you like that." Kim laughed again.

"Oh, well. That's okay. Well, at least we have a good story to go with how we met, no?" Eren laughed and nodded. "We can still be friends, though, right?"

"Of course. Like I said, I like you." They talked for a while longer before Eren had to excuse himself to go to work.

Eren usually would stop at his dorm to drop off his bag, but today he would just have to take it with him. He worked at the little convenience store down the street a little ways with a couple of friends of his. When he walked in, Sasha and Marco were already there. They were his two favorite people to work with, so he knew it would be a fairly easy-going shift. Better than working with horse-face Jean, anyways.

The 6 hour shift from 1 to 7 went by quickly, and before long he was already headed back to his dorm. When he walked in the door, Levi was sitting at the keyboard, and Eren had caught him, for just a second, without his headphones in. But apparently Levi had super-sonic hearing, so he stopped the second the door opened, and turned to face Eren.

"What kept you out so late, Brat?" Eren groaned at the now normal nickname that wasn't going away any time soon, after this morning's conversation especially.

"I actually have a job, thank you. From the looks of it, you don't."

Levi scowled at the remark. "I don't need one."

"Why not? You're a student, just like I am."

"That's none of your business, Brat." Levi was suddenly very defensive. He stood, gathering his books, probably to retreat to his own bedroom.

Eren watched his sudden change in behavior with narrowed eyes. "You're not doing something illegal, are you?"

Levi turned back, shooting Eren a glare that would kill any man with a weaker heart than Eren's own. "Watch it, Brat. No, I'm not. Like I said, this isn't any of your business."

He gathered the rest of his books, and disappeared to his own room, leaving Eren alone in the living room. Eren decided to make a quick dinner, clean up, and vanish to his own room to do the little bit of homework he had, and make sure he was ready for the next day, so that hopefully he could get out the door on time to avoid running again.

Before long he was once again sleeping fitfully. He awoke the next morning to the shrill sound of his alarm clock. Again, he was kicked out of the bathroom by a sweaty Levi, though at least this time Eren had finished brushing his hair and could go get dressed.

This time, they made breakfast in silence, ate, and walked out the door at the same time. They parted ways at the bottom of the stairs, and Eren took off toward the English building to his last general class. When this English class ended, he would only have art classes left for the next three semesters. He couldn't wait.

He sat through English, bored except for the fact the Kim happened to be in that class, so they passed notes through the whole class, and then they split up to go separate ways. This next class was Eren's favorite: art production. He finally would get to make the art himself.

He spent the class time listening intently about water colors and how to make them work right. Eren already knew this, but listened anyways. His heart dropped a little when he got his first project: a watercolor landscape. One, Eren wasn't good at landscapes, and two, he wasn't much better with watercolors. He liked using sharp, bright colored paint, not the pastel, faint colors of the watercolor paints. But he sighed accepting his fate and the assignment, realizing he would have to buy the paint tonight while he was at the store.

Making his day no better, when he walked into the store, Jean was there. This shift was bound to be interesting with that asshole around.

Getting home, Levi was on the couch watching television, and Eren looked completely defeated. He collapsed in his spot on the other couch and sighed, closing his eyes. Surprisingly, Levi spoke up first. "You alright, Brat?"

"It's been a long day, asshole. I don't need you making it worse." Eren groaned, kicking his shoes off, and laying down.

"I was just asking. No need to be so rude. I was trying to be nice."

"If you wanted to be nice, you'd stop calling me a brat."

"Not gonna happen… brat." Levi smirked at Eren's eyeroll. They sat quietly, watching the television until finally Eren felt his eyes start to grow heavy, and he excused himself, picking up his shoes and going to his room to collapse on his bed and fall into a heavy sleep.

The next two days were basically a repeat of the previous two days. The main difference was that Eren decided to start on his art project, and only became frustrated, throwing the paper away again and again. Levi watched him with mild interest each time he crumpled up another sheet of paper, then returned to letting his fingers dance over black and white keys.

Finally, Friday came around and Eren went to bed the night before, glad the alarm wouldn't be waking him up. He woke up around 11, not to the alarm, but to the front door closing. Eren stretched and went out to the kitchen. Levi looked at him with a disgusted look. "Really, brat? Did you just wake up?"

"Yeah, so what?" Eren put a couple pieces of bread in the toaster.

Levi scoffed. "You're a lazy ass, that's what."

"Whatever, asshole. I like my sleep, and nothing you can say will change that." The toast popped up a few minutes later, and Eren buttered it and took a bite. It was silent between the two males for a while, but soon Eren got to thinking. "What had you up and about this morning?"

"Is that any of your business?" Levi looked to him from the corner of his eye.

"Not really, I guess. I was just wondering." Eren shrugged, returning his attention to his toast and taking another big bite.

"You know, just because you don't have classes today, doesn't mean that I don't either." Levi bit back at Eren, still mad that he slept in. "And why don't you get out of bed and make yourself productive in the morning. I'm up every day at 5 am to go down to the gym so that I'm not a lazy little ass, unlike someone else in the room."

"Hey, I'm more fit than you give me credit for." Eren snarled as he ripped off a piece of his toast.

"Want to test that theory?" Levi snapped right back.

"Sure, happy to." The conversation fell dead after that while Levi thought of a way to exploit and demonstrate his roommate's laziness.

Eren finished his toast as quickly as he could, and returned to his room to gather up his laundry to throw in the washing machine at the end of the hall in their dorm. He took off the shirt he was wearing and threw it in the pile, too. He picked up the dirty clothes stack and went out into the hallway, opening the door where the machines were kept, and throwing them in with some soap, he started it.

The brunette returned to his room to put on a clean shirt, and when he opened the drawer, he groaned. He totally forgot the reason he had to do laundry in the first place: he had no clothes left. He had one pair of jeans… nothing more.

Well, he would just have to go without a shirt for a couple of hours while the laundry was in. No big deal.

He shrugged, heading out to the living room where Levi was playing the piano with his headphones in, and he plopped down on the couch, turning on the TV. Levi glanced over for a split second, and had to take a double take. His head whipped around to see a very much, half-naked Eren sitting on the couch, flipping through channels on the remote. "What the hell, brat? Why don't you have a shirt on?"

Eren looked down at his flat, muscled abdomen, and shrugged. "Out of clothes. They're all in the wash."

Levi groaned, becoming somewhat frustrated with his situation. And by frustrated, he meant sexually. This brat was actually far more toned and built than he originally gave him credit for: he was attractive, to say the least.

It hit Eren in the middle of a rerun of a Bob Ross Joy of Painting Episode that he randomly flipped to that he was supposed to be painting his own landscape with his worst enemy: watercolors. The brunette groaned, but then remembered another thing he was rather excited about, and turned an evil eye at Levi, then noticed Levi was staring at him, not looking down at the keys at all.

"Like what you see?" Levi scoffed and turned back to the keyboard, tearing his eyes away from Eren's toned chest. Before Levi could put his ear buds back in, Eren stopped him. "Hey, I have a question for you?"

Levi sighed. "What is it, brat?"

"Well, I have this final project that will be due at the end of the semester, and I don't have to start it for a while, but it will be a project of my choice. I can choose whatever method I want, and do whatever I want with that method, so long as it showcases what I can do or what I've learned."

"Okay, so get on with it." Levi pushed for him to finish.

"Alright, I'm getting there." Eren pushed back. "I was going to use charcoal, and my favorite thing to use charcoal with is portraits. I was hoping you would let me sketch you for the project."

"No." Levi didn't even think before answering.

"Why not?" Eren asked, defeated.

"Because I don't want you showcasing my face to an entire class, or a teacher." Levi responded, returning his attention to the keys.

"Ugh, you're such a boner killer." Levi heard this comment just before he put his buds back in.

"What?" He glared at Eren, who was slumped back on the couch looking deflated.

"I said you're a boner killer."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Levi was starting to get mad at Eren's tactlessness. "Do you get boners from drawing someone else, or are you saying I'm unattractive?"

"Neither. It's just an expression. I'm calling you a buzzkill. Boring. Mean. No fun." Eren paused for a minute looking right at Levi, glare and all. "Get the picture?"

"You are such a brat." Levi shoved his buds in his ear and turned back to the keyboard, not willing to be drug away again by the attractive boy sitting close by.

"Asshole." Eren muttered as he walked away to change his laundry.

When he returned to the couch, Levi was sitting in his spot on the loveseat with his earbuds in, and was writing in a different binder this time, and not treating this the same as his arrangement. Eren figured he must be doing actual homework.

The brunet sat in his spot and started flipping through channels again, still shirtless. The day passed quickly like that. Hanji came by that evening and they ordered take-out and the three of them watched a movie on the couch. At the end of the movie, Eren decided to give his best friend a call, mostly to get a break from Hanji and to escape Levi's glare for a bit. He also missed his little blond friend.

The phone rang twice before Armin picked up. "Hey, Eren! How's it going?"

"Oh, fine. My roommate is still an ass." Eren sat at the desk in his room, picking at the wood.

"Really? You told Mikasa you thought he was getting better."

"Yeah, well, I take it back. He's just naturally mean." Eren huffed in annoyance.

"I think you're starting to like him Eren." Armin had a slight teasing sound in his tone and the statement.

"What? No! He's a total asshole! He was mad at me this morning because I slept in. Seriously, why is that any of his business?" Eren slumped back in his chair, groaning out of frustration. "Oh, and then I asked him nicely if I could draw him for a project, and he was totally rude about it. He could have been nicer about it. And then, he made fun of me for calling him a boner killer."

Armin laughed at the other end of the line, and Eren whined at him to stop. "Eren, I think you're making it out to be worse than it actually is."

"No way, Armin. You don't get it." Eren groaned again. "You know what, you'd have to see it to believe it." Armin laughed again. "So, Arm, how's life across town?"

They talked for a long time before Hanji was calling his name, saying she was leaving, so he figured that was his cue to hang up the phone. They said quick goodbyes, and Eren went out to bid Hanji a temporary farewell. When she left, Levi and Eren went back to ignoring each other until Eren turned in for the night, knowing full well he still had a full semester left with his asshole of a roommate.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey there, my lovely readers! Sorry I've been away for so long. I'll spare you the details of my busy life, but I wanted to get you a chapter, so here it is. It's a bit shorter than the other ones, but it's got some good content. Anyways, enjoy, and don't forget to Favorite, follow, and review! Happy reading! ~HeartQueenVivaldi**

Chapter 5

The weeks passed in a simple routine for the boys. They got up, Levi went to his morning workout, they kicked each other out of the bathroom, Eren rushed out the door, Levi followed soon after, they went to classes, Eren worked, they came home, did homework on the couch, and went to sleep. Wash, rinse, repeat.

On weekends, Hanji would come over to bug them, occasionally bringing Erwin along with her. Mikasa or Armin would stop by on rare occasion to go get lunch with Eren, but this was not common. Eren also continued to hang out with his new friend, Kim, after class a few days a week before work. Eventually he did get her number so they could text during class instead of passing paper notes.

They boys seemed to only become more miserable as time went on in the dorms. Their banter and bickering never ceased, and in fact, seemed to be getting worse. Levi was insistent on calling Eren a brat, and Eren refused to call Levi anything but an asshole as long as he used the term "brat" for the brunette. Of course, this only made things worse.

Eren had tried to sneak up on Levi playing the piano, but failed on multiple occasions. It was like Levi had eyes in the back of his head. The brunette had tried coming into the dorm quietly while he was playing, and even went so far as to visit the music hall. He had found his roommate, but the raven had caught him long before he could hear anything. Levi had scolded him for it, telling him to stay away from there. If looks could kill, Eren would have been dead that day.

Eren told his friend Kim about his troubles, and she laughed at him, telling him the same thing Armin had told him; He was making it out worse than it probably was. She even started to tease him that he liked Levi, which the brunette resolutely rejected. It didn't stop her from continuing her teasing, though, and it became the norm for her to ask about Levi.

"So, how's Levi?" The brunette asked for the fifth time that week, and Eren, though he enjoyed the girl's presence, was becoming consistently more irritated with her.

Even so, he sighed and answered his new friend. "I don't know. Fine, I guess. Still an asshole, as usual. It's only getting worse."

"What do you mean?" Kim smiled slyly, and tilted her head innocently. The two actions contradicted heavily in Eren's head, and he ran a hand through his hair, making it messier than it already was.

"He is so picky, and a clean-freak, and mean, and short-tempered, and he treats his friends like crap. I'm really looking forward to next year when I don't have to be anywhere near that man."

Kim laughed. "It's only October, Eren. You've got a ways to go, my friend. Hey, embrace it! It's not like you can do anything about it, so you might as well just brush it off, and make it funny. Just laugh at him, as if he's not serious, even if he is! It'll make things more entertaining at the least!"

"Or I'll end up dead." Eren said dramatically.

"Oh, don't be so sour about it." They sat for a minute, and Eren thought maybe she had dropped it, but he was wrong. She picked the conversation back up after sitting quietly in thought for a minute. "Why do you think he's like that? Has that Hanji girl ever said anything about it?"

"I don't know why he's like that. It's like he's trying to push me as far away from him as possible…" Just then Eren gasped, and almost knocked his coffee over when realization struck him. Kim startled and looked at him expectantly. "That's exactly it…"

"What's it?" Kim asked, confused.

"He's trying to push me away." Eren thought back to the first time he met Hanji, and remembered her saying 'please…. don't let him push you away… he will try, just don't let him, okay?'. At the time, Eren hadn't known what to do with the information, not thinking it to be that important. Hanji hadn't been kidding, he realized now. Levi was always trying to push his two friends out the door. It really was as if he were trying to push everyone out of his life. Hanji and Erwin just wouldn't let it happen.

Eren lost himself in thought. What could have happened to that man to make him not want anyone in his life? Hanji said that he doesn't mean the threats, and that he really does care, so why push everyone away? Eren came to the realization at this point that Hanji had said this to him because Eren can't be pushed out completely like everyone else. They were roommates, and stuck together for the rest of the school year. He had a chance to get into the guy's head, and maybe his heart, which he seems to have closed off from everyone, including his two best friends.

Eren was pulled from his state of shock by Kim, who snapped in his face. "Hey, earth to Eren!" The glossy look left his eyes and he locked eyes with the girl, muttering a quick apology. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

The boy explained the first time he met Hanji, and then his revelation. She sat back when he finished his story, and ran her fingers through her long ponytail, like she did whenever she was thinking deeply about something. "So, apparently you do need to get to know him. Know him enough to like him for real." Eren nodded. "maybe it's time you became the mature one, and stopped calling him an asshole. Even if he is one. Maybe he'll follow suit, or maybe there's more behind this 'brat' nickname than we thought. Something happened to him to make him like this, and I think you need to find out what." Eren looked at her skeptically, and Kim answered his silent question. "Just make him trust you, and make him see that you are more than just a brat. Gain his confidence little by little. If you do that, one day, it might just slip, even if it's just one detail or two at a time. Before long you'll have the whole picture."

Eren looked at his watch, and realized he had to be getting to work, but stood up and gave Kim a big hug. "Thank you. I'll give it a try." Kim giggled. "What?"

"So you really do like him, huh?" Eren groaned at his friend's never-ending joke, and turned to walk away with a small smile gracing his face. At least he had a better idea about what was going on with his roommate. Sort of.

A few hours later he walked in the door from work, ditching his backpack by the front door, and going to get one of the ice cream bars he had bought the day before from the freezer. As he took his first bite, Levi emerged from his room. His eyes immediately landed on the backpack on the floor. "Hey, brat."

"What?" Eren returned, leaving out the "asshole" he would have normally tacked onto the end of the question.

"Pick up that damn backpack and put it away. Someone is going to trip and hurt themselves, and it looks messy." Levi walked around the bar counter, and to the fridge, pulling out the hamburger they bought to make a shepherds pie for the two of them. Levi would rather use lamb for a shepherds pie, since that is what it's supposed to be, but hamburger would have to suffice this time.

Eren, trying to get on his roommate's good side, immediately went over to pick up the backpack on the floor, taking it to his room to toss onto his bed. When he returned to the kitchen, Levi was standing at the stove, browning the meat, but turned around to raise an eyebrow at Eren. "What?" Eren asked in response to the questioning look from Levi.

"What happened to calling me an asshole and arguing with me?" Levi asked in a monotone voice.

Eren shrugged, picking up a knife to cut up vegetables for the pie. "I decided I'm sick of arguing over everything, and I'm also going to be the mature one and be the first one to stop using derogatory names." Levi actually stopped stirring the meat to turn and face Eren.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, brat?" Eren turned to look at Levi, pausing in his chopping and raising an eyebrow. "Are you calling me immature?"

"In this instance, maybe a little." Eren turned to go back to his chopping.

Levi turned back to the meat, contemplating something in his head. Eren could practically feel Levi thinking, so he stayed quiet, hoping the man would reveal something about himself. Finally, Levi took a breath like he was about to speak, and Eren got his wish, if only a crumb. It was a start. "You know I don't actually mean it, right?" Levi stayed intently focused on the beef in the pan as he said it.

"I know." Eren responded quietly, hoping Levi would go on.

He didn't. The pair stayed silent as they finished their meal, and then ate. Eren spoke up later at the table to compliment Levi on the food. "This is really good, Levi. Thank you." Levi grunted in acknowledgement. "It's a shepherd's pie, right?"

Levi nodded. "Yeah. But we didn't have any lamb, so I had to use beef instead."

Eren chuckled. "Then it's not really a shepherd's pie, is it? A shepherd is a sheep herder. If you used beef then it should really be called a cowboy casserole or something." Eren laughed at his own joke, and when he looked at Levi, he could see the amusement flash in the other male's gray eyes briefly before it was gone again, and Levi was unreadable. At least Eren felt he was getting somewhere now.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! I know! two updates in a week? Something must be wrong with me, I don't know... I hope you enjoy this installment of Never Regret. Some new developments finally happen, so this is exciting. Also, I better not get any negative comments about Levi in this chapter. I'm well aware that he is ooc for a minute here, so I don't need to know that. I took some creative liberty in deciding what I think Levi would be like when he's shit-faced drunk, and the way I have done it creates a beginning to something more. So don't be mad that Levi is ooc a bit in this chapter. He will go back to normal next chapter, I promise! Anyways, now that I've ranted, enjoy! Don't forget to favorite, follow, and review! ~HeartQueenVivaldi**

Never Regret

Chapter 6

As much as Eren really wanted to know what Levi was hiding and what he had gone through in his life, there was no way he could find out without asking questions, which was the last thing he wanted to do. He didn't want to end up being the one to push Levi further away, and instead chose to simply be nice to the other man, even if he continued to call him a brat. Levi never gave much away, and Eren still knew nothing about Levi's past. At least he knew that Levi didn't really mean it when the raven called him a brat. He didn't know what that meant, but it was something.

Life in the dorms got better after Eren stopped calling Levi an asshole like he meant it. Suddenly "brat" didn't seem so bad, either. They were better able to move through their routine, and weren't so horrible to each other or rude. Eren still hadn't heard Levi play the piano, and Levi hadn't seen Eren's art, but they became more patient about it. Eren learned more about Levi and his style of playing the piano, though. The man was very determined to graduate as a pianist. He became frustrated when the music became hard, but still returned to the keyboard every time. Eren still didn't know what, but something brought him back, and kept him motivated. It was even inspiring when Eren was stuck on a method he was supposed to be demonstrating for a class.

One thing in Eren's life didn't get any easier, though. Kim still teased him relentlessly that he was head over heels in love with Levi, and now Armin was joining in on the fun, even if it was only over the phone when they talked a few times a week. Eren still rejected it, but he knew something was changing in their relationship. Especially considering that they were now coexisting quite peacefully, even though they still bickered over small, dumb things, like Eren leaving a popsicle wrapper on the counter, or making too much noise while Levi practiced. Even then, it was still better than it was. Eren didn't despise going home after work anymore.

September and October came and went quickly with their new routine and newfound ability to get along to a certain degree, and Halloween was here. Eren always loved Halloween. It was his chance to dress up, go drink with friends, and enjoy an evening out. He had his costume ready, and was busy doing some very white makeup with ruby red lips and a set of retractable fangs. This year, he was going to be a gay, sexy vampire. He was excited, and after finishing his makeup, went to put on his fishnet leggings, very short shorts, a V-neck black t-shirt, and his short red and black cape that was barely long enough to reach the middle of his back. Looking in the mirror, Eren knew he looked like walking sex. His legs were long and toned, and he knew other gay men would be falling all over him just for that.

Eren smiled at himself in the mirror, trying out his fangs, using his tongue to push them down where they were visible, then pushing them back up over his gums. They wouldn't be very comfortable for the entire night, but still better than those cheap little things that people bought in bulk at the dollar store, and these would allow him to be able to talk and eat, never having to take them out. So, better than anything else he found for fangs.

Pleased with his outfit, Eren went out to find a bottle of water in the refrigerator, and wait for Armin to text him that he was here to pick him up. Levi, as usual, was sitting at the piano, and when Eren emerged from his room, Levi looked over to him and his eyes about popped out of their sockets. He felt his pants strain just a little, then shook his head and turned back to the keyboard, ripping his eyes away from the long legs that were currently striding across the dorm to the kitchen. "Where are you going?" Levi asked the boy.

"Out with some friends. It's Halloween! I gotta go have some fun!" Eren emerged from the fridge with a water bottle in his hand, closing the door, and leaned against it. He opened the cap and took a long gulp, pleased when he pulled away and there was no red lipstick on the rim. He was glad he bought the stuff that was supposed to stay on for twelve hours before wearing off if he didn't take makeup remover to it.

Levi didn't answer, but watched Eren for a moment after hearing the boy's plans for the night. Eventually, Eren became uncomfortable. "What?"

Levi shook his head and sighed. "Just… be careful…" He spoke quietly. It was quiet for a moment, and Eren swore for a moment that Levi actually looked worried about him. "You have a designated driver, right?"

Eren nodded. "Of course. I wouldn't dream of driving drunk. There's some real horror stories out there, and I don't have any desire to be a part of one, and I don't have a car, remember?"

Levi looked kind of sad, and Eren thought he saw concern behind those glassy, gray orbs. "You should probably come home before midnight before the real crazies are on the streets, though."

Eren was right, as it turns out. Levi is concerned. He was rather confused by the raven's concern, and it was new for the younger male. There was a reason for it, though, so Eren agreed to appease the obviously worried raven. "I'll see what I can do. After all, I'm not the driver. But I can try my best. Thanks for worrying, though."

Levi nodded and stood from the bench, going to the fridge to get a water for himself. As Levi opened the bottle, Eren's phone vibrated, and he saw the text announcing Armin's arrival at the dorms. Eren bid a quick farewell to Levi and ran down to Armin's car waiting in the lot. They sped off to the club everyone agreed on.

On the way, Eren filled Armin and Mikasa in on Levi's apparent concern. The two friends just ended up teasing Eren about never talking about anything but Levi, and Eren ended the conversation. He really would try to be home before midnight, regardless.

Eren had a lot of fun that night, at least he did at first. He had a few drinks, then ended up on the dance floor with some guys that had been hitting on him. Suddenly, he was pulled away from them and into Jean's arms. The taller male was holding Eren way closer than he ever wanted to be held by Jean, and tried to push him away. The blond was obviously drunk, far worse than Eren, and was trying to hit on him. After several minutes trying to push Jean away, Eren lost it, and punched Jean square in the nose. The two ended up fighting, and they were kicked out of the club by a pair of giant bouncers.

Armin and Mikasa came out to meet him, and Marco came to pick up Jean, who was puking in the bushes. Everyone knew Marco had a thing for Jean, and that Jean felt the same, but both were just way too stubborn to admit it. Eren, still mad at Jean, decided he just wanted to go home. They couldn't get back in the club tonight, and that's where the rest of their friends were, so there was no point in going to another one. Armin agreed, and they drove back to Eren's dorm.

It was only ten when they got there, but Eren had a feeling upon arriving that Eren should go up to the room alone. Mikasa and Armin drove away confused, but Eren insisted, so they did as he asked. Eren climbed the stairs to his dorm slowly, and made his way down the hallway. When he reached his door, he took his key from his pocket and unlocked the door. When he entered his eyes trained on Levi, who was sitting at the bar with a bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey, and his face in his hands.

When Levi heard the door click closed, he looked up to see Eren in the entry. Eren immediately felt concern for the other male. His eyes were red, and for a second, Eren thought he was thoroughly stoned. But when he approached he realized that was stupid. Upon closer inspection, he could see the remains of tears glistening on Levi's cheeks, and realized something very important: Levi had been crying. He was here alone, very drunk on whiskey, and crying.

Eren knew Levi well enough to know that Levi isn't the type to cry, but he also knew that alcohol can make someone become a totally different person. Levi will kill him in the morning if he knows that Eren saw him cry. As Eren came to this realization, fresh tears began to run down Levi's face, and he did the last thing Eren expected. He leaned forward and pulled Eren closer, wrapping his arms around the brunet and squeezing him tight. The younger boy didn't know what to do, but settled with hugging Levi back around the shoulders.

They stayed like that for a moment before Eren heard Levi murmur. He didn't catch the whole thing, but he heard a few words. "I'm glad… made it back…. I don't know… handle losing... It's been four years… Isabel and Farlan… So long… Damn drunk…. Crash…. In pieces…. She smiled…." It went quiet again, and Eren tried to piece together whatever it was Levi was talking about, but couldn't. He simply didn't have enough information. He wished he had caught more words, even if only a few more. It might have helped.

A quiet sob escaped the drunk raven, and Eren became more concerned. He lifted Levi from the stool princess style, and took him to the couch, away from the half-empty bottle of whiskey. The raven complained, protesting about not having his bottle, demanding that Eren give it back. Eren was somehow able to convince the raven that he didn't need it. Eren left Levi sitting on the couch to get water for him, and when he came back Levi was doing something even more unexpected than crying. He was smiling, actually smiling! At Eren! The brunet knew in that instant that the world must have turned upside down and started spinning in the wrong direction if Levi Ackerman was smiling at him.

Eren stared at Levi for a solid three minutes before Levi said something. "You know, you're pretty cute." Levi slurred the sentence, and Eren realized that Levi is an honest drunk, and a crazy one. "And that costume is sexy as hell…" Levi paused as if he needed to think, then continued in a haze, "I'd tap that."

Eren's eyebrow raised at the compliment-ish statement. "You wouldn't be saying any of this right now if you weren't drunk off your ass. Stop it, and drink this." Eren held out a water bottle to Levi, who took it to throw it on the ground. Eren sighed, bending to pick it up.

"Ass?" Levi could be heard behind Eren, "This ass," Eren looked up to see Levi pointing at the only ass in the room that wasn't his own: Eren's, "is sexy." Eren groaned, and Levi continued as if the noise never happened, "can I do you? It'll be fun."

Eren shook his head, "No, Levi. I don't want to die by your hand in the morning when you realize what happened."

"Oh come on, Brat. I'm real good in bed. You would never want to leave my bed after getting into it with me." Levi fell off the couch trying to pull Eren down by grabbing his arm. "I'll even give you a blowie." Levi tried to kneel in front of Eren, but the brunet stepped back.

Levi pouted in front of him. Eren, wanting to change the subject, knelt down in front of Levi. It wasn't that he didn't want to be screwed by Levi, he just wanted it to happen while Levi knew what he was doing, if ever. So, he changed the subject. "Levi, who are Farlan and Isabel?" Eren watched as Levi's face fell again, and he looked up at the bottle of whiskey that was still on the counter. "No, Levi. No more. You'll kill yourself if you drink any more tonight."

"I don't want to talk about them." Levi looked up at Eren suddenly. "If you won't let me drink, I want to go to bed."

Eren nodded. "Okay. I'll take you. I doubt you can make it on your own." He picked Levi up again, making sure the man had his water, and carried him off to the bedroom on the left. Eren had never been in Levi's room, or even gotten a peak inside. When he entered he wasn't surprised to find it immaculately clean. His bed was cleanly made, shoes were lined up perfectly in the closet on the floor, his clothes that were hanging seemed to even be organized, and there wasn't even a speck of dust anywhere to be found.

The brunet took Levi to the bed, setting him down on it, taking off his shoes and putting them in the empty space in the closet. He took Levi's jeans and button-down shirt off so that the man would be able to sleep comfortably. When He finally had Levi down to nothing but boxers he only had a few seconds to admire Levi's toned body with rippling abs and broad shoulders before he was under the sheets. Levi passed out within seconds and Eren left the room, turning the lights off as he went.

The brunet went into the bathroom to remove his makeup and his fangs before going to his room to strip down and put on some boxers. He crawled into bed, his own buzz from the night having faded, and not feeling the slightest bit envious of the man sleeping in the room next door. He would be feeling that in the morning. Eren closed his eyes, thinking of the few words Levi had revealed to him that were just a little too quiet to catch.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey! Sorry it's been so long since my last update, but I didn't really know where I wanted this to go for this chapter, or just how much I should reveal. There's still some mystery behind Levi, even after this chapter, but at least now Eren has had a little sneak peak into Levi's life. Again, Levi is a bit ooc, and I'm aware of it, so I don't need to hear about it. It's just creative liberty being taken a little. Anyways, I'll let you read now. Happy Reading! Don't forget to Favorite, Follow, and Review!**

 **~HeartQueenVivaldi**

Never Regret

Chapter 7

Levi woke with a pounding headache, and when he looked at the clock he found a rather astonishing sight, it was already past 7 in the morning. He never slept that late. He groaned when he sat up and his head started to spin. Collecting his senses a little, the raven attempted to stand. When he looked down, he noticed his clothes from the day before, folded neatly on his nightstand, and his shoes were in their spot in the closet, and he was only wearing boxers. The man hoped with everything he had that he had done all of that, and that he simply didn't remember doing it. Chances were low, though.

The man pulled on a pair of sweatpants from his drawer, and a white tank top, then decided it was time to leave the bedroom. When he opened the door he noticed Eren, already awake, nursing a cup of coffee, and looking like he had his own hangover to deal with. Noticing the pot of coffee was still full, Levi went to fill up his own cup. Once he had his cup, and was slowly sipping it, he finally looked up at Eren, who was openly staring at him.

Eren, who had been up for almost an hour, had been surprised when Levi came out of his room, rather than through the front door like usual on a Saturday morning. When he remembered what happened the night before, Eren couldn't help but stare at Levi, who had practically tried to throw himself on the brunet, and had confessed to liking him. Not to mention he had said something about an event involving people he hadn't wanted to talk about.

When Levi looked up, noticing Eren staring at him blankly, he glared at the younger man. "What are you staring at, brat?"

Eren started, realizing he had been staring for a good minute, then blushed, looking back down to his coffee. "W… well… last night you, uh… said some things, and… uh…"

Levi rolled his eyes when Eren started to stammer. "Just spit it out, Brat."

Eren, having been interrupted in his rather choppy explanation, gaped at Levi, then quickly launched into an explanation of the night before while he had Levi's attention. "When I walked in you were crying, and then you hugged me, and you said something about some people named Isabel and Farlan, then I took you away from your bottle of whiskey, and you were really mad about it, then you tried to get me to have sex with you, and you said I was cute, and that you'd tap that, then I put you to bed, but I didn't want you to be uncomfortable, so I took your clothes off, but I swear I only took off everything but your boxers, and then you fell asleep." Eren spit out everything in one breath, talking at a million miles an hour. When he looked up at Levi's face, the man looked like he was in shock, and Eren tacked on, "Please don't kill me."

Levi, not believing what he was hearing, couldn't help but stare at Eren. "No way. I would never… I mean… what?" It was awkwardly silent as they stared at each other. "I mentioned Isabel and Farlan?"

Eren nodded, and Levi sighed, putting his face in one of his hands. After a few minutes where Eren could easily tell that Levi was thinking really hard about something, Levi spoke up again with another question, "what did I say about them?"

Eren smiled, glad Levi wasn't going to kill him. "I didn't catch much of it, actually. But you said the words Drunk, crash, and smile. Those are the ones I remember anyways. I was wondering… um… would you tell me what happened?"

Levi looked up from his coffee to see Eren's concerned and curious expression. Levi sighed, giving in. It was the least he could do, after all, the brunet had put him to bed last night, and comfortably. "Isabel and Farlan were my two best friends in the world. Farlan was like a brother to me, and Isabel was our little sister. We always did everything we could to protect her, and to protect each other. We would have done anything for each other, and we did, even things we shouldn't have done. We made some major mistakes in our lives, but I don't want to talk about that. We decided to turn our lives around, and started coming to school 6 years ago. In our second year, it was Halloween, and Isabel and Farlan went to a party. I told them they should be home before midnight when there were no drunk drivers. They blew me off and told me they would be fine. They wouldn't be drinking anyways.

"I didn't go to bed that night. I just had a feeling I should be awake, so I stayed up, waiting for them. Around one in the morning, my phone rang. I saw that it was Farlan so I answered. I knew he liked Isabel and wanted to kiss her, so I answered, starting to tease him about getting some, but…" The raven took a breath, "It wasn't Farlan on the other side of the line. It was a paramedic telling me they had been hit by a drunk driver. I was both of their emergency contact, you see. The man told me they were being rushed to the hospital in critical condition. I ran out the door with pajamas and slippers on, and rushed to the hospital. When I got there they were both in surgery. I was told I would have to wait to see them.

"In the meantime, I had met Hanji and Erwin in a class the year before, and I called them, telling them what happened in a rushed panic. They came to the hospital to be with me at two in the morning. I can never re-pay them for that. Hours later I was told I could see them, but only because I was their only emergency contact, and they had no family. I went into their room alone, and I was told by the doctor they wouldn't live. I probably only had enough time to say goodbye. He assured me he had done everything he could for both of them, but the damage was too extensive. I…" Levi took a deep breath, and Eren could see him holding back more tears. He wouldn't cry, though, and Eren knew that. It was only a drunk response to a long ago memory. "It turned out to be the correct assessment. I don't even want to remember what they looked like. They didn't even look to be themselves. I watched Farlan take his last breath when I told him it was okay… I told him he could leave, and that I would be okay…" Levi stopped for a second to take a breath and calm himself. "When I turned around, Isabel's eyes were open. She smiled at me before her eyes closed for good."

Eren sat in silence, hoping Levi would continue. He got lucky after a few more minutes of silence. "After that I became really depressed for a while. I dropped out of my classes and just went home. Hanji insisted on being by my side at all times. She slept at my house, and followed me everywhere. In fact, if it weren't for her doing that, I'd probably be dead right now. I thought about it a few times, but every time I got close, she barged through the door, driving it back out of my mind. She and Erwin did everything they could to pull me out of my depression.

"Finally, after two years of this, Hanji finally convinced me to come back to school and play the piano again. I did, and it's not the same, but…" Levi stopped talking, as if trying to find the right words, "…this is what Isabel and Farlan would have wanted me to do. I can't move on from that, and I won't ever forget the pain of that day. But I also won't forget the look on their faces when I would play the piano. It was the only time they were ever quiet. They always encouraged it, so I have to finish, as much for them as for myself."

Suddenly everything made sense for Eren. Levi wouldn't let anyone close to him for fear of losing them. He had been through a hell of an experience, and Eren felt bad for him. He didn't want to let anyone too close, because if something happened to them it would be easier to distance himself from the tragedy. This was why, even though Levi had admitted to liking Eren, he would never be the first to act. If anything were to ever progress, Eren would have to be the first to make any kind of move. This was what Hanji was talking about, that Levi would try to push him away, and the word "brat" was his way of doing so.

"I understand. I can't say I know what that feels like. I've never lost someone that close to me. But I do know that this can't be easy for you. It's only been two years since you lost them. If I had to guess, they are probably more like family to you than your actual family. Levi, I want you to know you don't have to go through it alone. When you struggle with emotions, you can let them out. Holding it in doesn't help anyone or anything. You have friends to confide in. Hanji and Erwin want nothing more than to help you, and I'm sure they would both jump through hoops if it meant it would help you. They aren't the only ones either. I want to help you, too. However you need it."

Levi nodded, not saying one way or another. Eren hoped that the man would take what he said to heart, but then Levi suddenly seemed to come to another realization. "Hold up. You just said that I tried to have sex with you and that I said you were cute. Did I really do those things?"

Eren blushed furiously and nodded timidly. Levi sighed and groaned at the same time, sounding really exasperated in the process. "No way."

"You did."

"You didn't actually let that happen did you?" Levi glanced down at Eren's bare chest.

Eren looked annoyed. "NO! I obviously wasn't going to get into that kind of situation while you were drunk!" Eren paused for a moment. "Was it true, though?"

"Was what true?" Levi eyed Eren over the rim of his mug of coffee.

"That you think I'm cute, and that you would, as you said, 'tap that'?" Eren flashed Levi a cheeky smile.

Eren thought for just a moment that he could see a faint tint of red on Levi's pale cheeks, but maybe he was imagining things. He hesitated for a moment before giving a quiet, "of course not." But he wasn't fooling Eren so easily.

"You hesitated."

"No."

"Yes you did."

"I did not!" Levi finished his coffee really quickly and put the mug in the sink, without washing it to Eren's surprise, and was ready to storm away to his room, but Eren stopped him.

"Wait, I'm sorry. You don't have to leave. I won't tease you anymore, I promise."

Levi turned back around, groaning a little, and neither said anything for a minute, then Levi turned around to sit at the bench in front of the keyboard, still facing Eren. Eren took another sip of his coffee, and almost spit it back out when he heard Levi's next comment. "Thank you."

After Eren swallowed, he asked, "for what?"

"For not letting me do something stupid last night. For putting me to bed and making sure I was comfortable. For listening…" Levi paused for a beat, as if thinking of what to say, "I have never had someone listen to me like that. Hanji tries, but she can't help but interrupt, and Erwin can't seem to hold still. I've never had someone who was willing to listen and try to really understand what I feel." Levi looked away from Eren with a barely-there blush on his cheeks. "So thank you."

Eren's head was spinning, and not just from the hangover. He was sure the world had turned upside down, because Levi Ackerman was thanking him, and was serious about it. The surprise didn't last long however, because Levi's next comment set the world back to normal. "You're still just a brat though."

Eren smirked, "will you ever stop calling me that?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because that's what you are."

"Whatever." Eren turned on his stool to finish his coffee, and Levi spun himself around on the bench to face the keyboard. He scanned the notes on the sheets he left there the day before, and had an idea.

"Hey, brat." Levi spoke up, addressing the brunet who had just finished his coffee, and was placing his mug in the sink with Levi's.

"What?"

"Are you still interested in hearing me play the piano?"

Eren spun around to gape at Levi like a fish before his face lit up. "Hell, yeah!"

"Do you remember our deal?" Levi turned his head to see Eren's excited face.

"Yes, but I won't show you until I've heard at least one song."

Levi hummed in amusement. "They aren't songs on the piano. We call them 'pieces'. So you should have said, 'until I've heard at least one "piece".'"

Eren huffed. "Okay, whatever. I won't show you my art until I've heard at least one 'piece'." Eren rolled his eyes at Levi's shake of his head.

"Go get that sketchbook you were drawing in that day, I want to see what you were drawing. After I play, of course. We are going for a walk to the music building, so put some clothes on. We are leaving in fifteen minutes."

Eren didn't need to be told twice. He ran to his room, and changed faster than he had ever changed in his entire life, then ran to the bathroom to brush through his hair really quickly and brush his teeth. He then went to dig up his sketchbook from somewhere in his room. He returned to the living room just in time to see Levi gathering his music from the keyboard, fully dressed and looking like he never had a hangover in the first place. Just like always, Eren was blown away by how attractive his roommate was.

Levi looked up at Eren and pointed at the door. He didn't even need to speak for Eren to know what he wanted, and they both walked out the door. As Levi checked to make sure the door was locked, Eren remembered something. "Hey, didn't you tell Hanji and Erwin you would play for them when you finally played for me?"

Levi groaned. "Oh, yeah. I guess I did." He thought for a moment, running his hand through his raven locks. "Whatever. I don't care. What they don't know won't hurt them. I'll just play for them another day."

Eren laughed at his roommate. "Hanji might kill you if she finds out."

"I can deal with the crazy ass woman. It wouldn't be the first time, anyways." Levi started walking down the hallway to the stairs that lead down to the front of the building. Eren had to run a little to keep up, and was surprised at how fast Levi could move with how much shorter he was than the brunet. He almost laughed out loud at the thought, but decided he didn't want to die just yet, so kept it to himself.

A few minutes later the pair entered the music building, and climbed the stairs to the second floor. The hallway was lined with doors on both sides, with classrooms behind each one. In most of the classrooms were pianos. Eren thought perhaps they would be stopping at one of these classrooms, but Levi simply walked past all of them. Confused, Eren almost piped up to ask why when Levi turned to the door at the very end of the hallway. When they entered, Eren found himself in another very long hallway with more doors, but these doors were much closer together and didn't have windows in them like the classrooms. The brunet could faintly hear the sound of many different instruments behind each door they passed, and quickly realized that these were practice rooms set aside for the students.

They kept walking for a minute until Levi stopped at a door that had a big sign on it that said: "Piano Performance Majors Only". Eren looked over at Levi after reading the sign, who simply stated, "That's me," and input a pin into a number pad and the door unlocked. Levi entered the room, and held the door open for Eren. The brunet entered the room, and Levi closed the door behind him, pushing a button on the handle. "Pushing this button tells other students that this room is occupied and that they need to find a different one by displaying a red light on the keypad," Levi explained when Eren gave him a curious look.

Eren turned to look around the room. It was fairly small, but fit a glossy black baby grand piano, and a couple of chairs and a music stand. Eren stood by the door awkwardly until Levi gestured to a chair by the piano. "You can sit there. It will be more fun for you if you can see my hands, going by the way you watch my hands every time I play on the keyboard."

Eren chuckled at the statement. "Well, yeah. It's kind of mesmerizing to watch the way your fingers move. It's almost like they are dancing."

Levi shook his head and approached the piano, Eren close behind, hugging his sketchbook to his chest. Levi sat down, placing his music on the piano before turning to Eren. "Any requests?"

"You take requests?" Eren asked, impressed.

"Yes, depending on what it is." Levi answered, but didn't give Eren much of a chance to respond before he turned and started playing. Eren was impressed by the sound that came from the piano. It wasn't a song, or a "piece" as Levi had been so specific about, but a simple scale. Despite being a very simple thing, Eren still gaped at the way Levi's fingers danced across the keys, leaving behind nothing but the beautiful tones of the glossy instrument that filled most of that tiny room.

Levi turned to Eren when he finished his warm up scales and asked again, "now do you have any requests?" Eren just gaped like a fish, and Levi shook his head, sighing. "Never mind. I don't think I need to do much to impress you if a simple warm-up has you gaping at me like a dead fish." Levi thought for a moment. "I have the perfect piece to play for you. It's called 'The Reluctant Heroes'."

The raven turned back to the piano, and Eren sat forward in his chair in anticipation. Levi placed his hands on the keys and started to play a melody the brunet had never heard before. The sound was incredible, and the way Levi played it made Eren want to melt. Levi wasn't the kind to show much emotion, and his face was blank, but if Eren closed his eyes he could feel everything Levi was feeling in that moment. The music held more emotion than Eren thought one person could ever be capable of. He could feel Levi's sadness, and pain, but at the same time, happiness, and a sort of relief that Eren didn't really understand.

When the music ended, Eren opened his eyes and looked at Levi, who was looking back at him. The raven quickly looked away and back at the keys. "What did you think?"

Eren sat up a little more in his chair, and leaned forward, resting his head on the side of the piano, closing his eyes. He hummed a little and answered, "I loved it. You should play another one."

Levi, knowing Eren couldn't see him with his eyes closed, smiled, just a little. He lifted his hands again to place them on the keys. "That one was an arrangement of a piece that I did last year. This next one is called Echoes. It's a composition of my own that I finished just before the start of this semester."

Levi once again let his fingers sink into the keys, playing another beautiful melody that Eren instantly fell in love with. Eren decided he could have listened to Levi play the piano forever. This piece seemed to contain even more emotion than the first one, and the brunet soaked up every note until the very end when Levi once again removed his hands from the keys.

Both boys sat in silence for a moment before Levi finally broke the quiet atmosphere. "Your turn. I want to see some of your work."

Eren opened his eyes to see Levi looking at him expectantly. The brunet sighed, handing over the black book full of Eren's own drawings. Levi turned to the first page and flipped through a few pages before stopping at the image of the keyboard that sat against the wall in their shared dorm room. "These are really good." Eren realized quickly what was on the next page, and tried to take the book away, but Levi had already turned the page to see himself, playing his silent piano over the paper in his lap, a pencil between his teeth. Eren was proud of the drawing, but that didn't mean he wanted Levi to see it. A hint of surprise flashed across Levi's mercury colored eyes before disappearing again, and he turned to the brunet who was blushing furiously. "Is this what you were so focused on that day."

Eren nodded shyly, and Levi nodded back, looking back down at the paper. "Well it's really good." It was quiet again as Levi started to flip through more pages of the book. He thought as he looked, and finally turned to Eren, handing the book back to him. "You don't still need a model for your final project do you?" the raven inquired of the brunet.

Eren's head snapped up to look at Levi. "yeah, I do actually. Are you offering?"

Levi scoffed. "No, I was just going to say that maybe I would think about it."

Eren grinned from ear to ear. "Really? That would be awesome if you did. You are seriously the perfect model!"

Levi scratched the back of his head, opening the binder on the piano to the first page. "Well, don't count on it, brat. I need to think on it." He placed his hands on the keys once again, and started to play, ending the conversation. Eren sat next to Levi in the music hall for over an hour, bickering lightly, and showing off each other's work, before they decided to go back to their dorm. Eren, though he was scared of Levi when the day started, by the end of the day, felt like he knew Levi more personally, and couldn't wait to make a little more progress as time went on.


	8. Chapter 8

**Wow, guys. I'm really bad at posting updates quickly. I had, like, no motivation to write for a good little while, until this last few days, so I figured I would try to get another chapter or two out before school starts again in a couple of weeks. Hopefully that actually happens. I also decided to watch One Piece again, and, well, you all probably know how that goes. 848 episodes later and I am still not sorry about it. Anyways, happy reading, and don't forget to review!**

Never Regret

Chapter 8

 _Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit,_ "Shit" _._ Eren panicked as he watched the bowl fall from the counter to the floor of the kitchen in his and Levi's shared dorm room. The glass shattered as it hit the tile, and it's contents, milk and Cheerios, splashed all over the floor and even up onto the lower cabinets. Eren stared at the mess, panicking internally. His panic only worsened when he looked up to see Levi glaring at him from the door to his bedroom.

"What happened, Brat?" Levi sounded a little too calm for Eren's liking. This is what he liked to call "scary-calm".

Eren stuttered, "w… well… I…" the brunet took a large breath when he realized that Levi was becoming frustrated, and spit it out. "I turned to get a banana and when I turned back around I didn't realize my bowl of cereal was so close to me and I elbowed it off the counter. Then it broke and the cereal has spilled everywhere." Eren frowned down at the mess.

Levi sighed, pushing himself from his place leaning against the door frame to walk around into the kitchen. He exhaled sharply when he saw the mess, and addressed Eren, "I'll help you clean this up. Why don't you go get the mop from the closet to work on the mess on the floor. I'll get a rag and start wiping the cupboards." Eren nodded, rushing to do what Levi said.

As the two worked in silence on cleaning Eren's mess, the brunet couldn't help but think how far they had come since the first day they met. They went from Levi doing all of the cleaning and yelling at Eren for making any kind of mess, to working side by side, with limited yelling, and Levi trusting Eren to clean, and clean it the right way.

It had been months since that first day, and they were approaching Thanksgiving. Midterms had just passed, and Eren couldn't believe how fast time was flying by. Levi no longer bothered to put headphones in when he played on the keyboard, and Eren was frequently asked by the older male about his drawings and projects. Surprisingly, Levi had also agreed to let Eren use him as a model for his final project for the end of the semester, albeit reluctantly.

Eren was happy to say the two had made good progress since that first few weeks when they did nothing but call each other names and bicker. The thought had Eren smiling as he mopped the milk-splattered tile floor. "What are you smiling about, brat?"

Eren looked up at the sound of Levi's voice, "huh?"

Levi made an annoyed noise, "You spilling your milk and cereal shouldn't be a reason to smile."

"Oh," Eren processed the question fully this time, "no, that's not it at all."

"You know what, never mind. I don't need to know how your brain works." Eren could feel his face heat up and he mentally berated himself for blushing over absolutely nothing. Why was he blushing anyways?

When they finished up and put the cleaning supplies away, Eren fixed himself a new bowl of Cheerios, and this time without spilling. When he had his breakfast he joined Levi at the table where the older man was writing in a notebook, probably filled with manuscript paper. Eren decided to start light conversation. "So, Levi. What are you doing for the Thanksgiving break? Any exciting plans?"

Levi glanced up at Eren with his eyes, not bothering to fully look up and away from the notes scrawled on the paper, "nothing." Eren stopped his action of bringing the spoon to his mouth about midway and simply stared back at the raven who had gone back to whatever he was doing. When Eren didn't say anything, or even move, Levi finally sat back, putting his pencil down and giving Eren a fairly concerning glare. "What?"

Eren put the spoon back in his bowl, "you don't have any plans? Are you not going to see family? Head home for the week? Have dinner with someone you are grateful for?"

Levi cocked an eyebrow, "no, I have none of those things, not any worth mentioning anyways."

Eren looked confused, "you mean you have no family to visit over the holidays?"

Levi simply shook his head, "I told you; none worth mentioning."

"Don't tell me you spend your summers here, too!" Eren looked aghast at the mere mention of the idea of attending school over the summer.

The raven rolled his eyes, "of course not, brat. I have a house I go back to, but it's not like it's anything special. It's just a building with furniture. A place to sleep and nothing more. It's not exactly a home, not anymore."

"But it used to be." It wasn't a question.

"Perhaps."

"Did you live there with Isabel and Farlan?" Eren asked quietly.

Levi, slightly taken aback, nodded in response.

It was quiet for a minute until Eren had a new, burning question, "Do you not have anyone else that is important to you? I mean, what about Hanji or Erwin?"

Levi sighed, closing his eyes for a second, and when he opened them, Eren caught a hint of sadness before it disappeared, like all of Levi's emotions did. "I usually spend holidays with both of them, but this year they are both going elsewhere. Hanji is visiting family on the other side of the world, and Erwin, I guess, is headed to Germany, Switzerland, and a few other countries in that area for a vacation with his new fiancé. I don't have the money for any kind of trip right now, so I'm staying here."

"So you really are spending Thanksgiving alone?" Eren looked slightly appalled by the idea.

Levi nodded again, "yes, and probably Christmas, too."

Eren's jaw dropped, "You have got to be kidding me! Christmas, too! That's just crazy. No one should have to spend Christmas alone!"

"And what exactly am I supposed to do about that, Brat? I can't just suddenly have a family worth mentioning or magic my friends half way across the world, and I can't go with them, either, so I have no choice but to stay right where I am." Levi spat angrily and went back to writing in his notebook.

Eren was suddenly very glad it was Saturday and he wouldn't have any classes or work to go to. He decided, once he was finished with his cereal, to call Kim and maybe meet her for lunch. The excitable girl quickly agreed to the meeting, and before either of them knew it they were in their usual booth at the café, eating sandwiches and cookies, and drinking delicious lattes.

Eren relayed to his friend, upon request, what he had found out about Levi's holiday plans. Kim was just as appalled by Levi's plans as Eren was, and they wanted to do something about it. Of course Kim didn't know Levi, so there was nothing she could do personally, but she could help Eren plot something still.

Eren, having a very kind family, decided he would ask his dad if Levi could tag along for the week, and Kim whole-heartedly agreed with the idea. The brunette sat on the edge of her seat as Eren dialed his dad's phone number. The phone rang twice before he heard the familiar voice of his dad. "Eren, how are you, son?"

"I'm good! How's everything going?" Eren's dad was a stern, but very kind man named Grisha. The man was one of the best doctors in the area, and, in Eren's opinion, the best dad ever. He was always around when Eren needed him most. He would drop anything for his son. Eren knew he could tell his dad anything. When the brunet came out as gay at the age of fifteen, Grisha didn't even bat an eye. He simply gave his son a hug and told him that he loved him no matter what. Eren had a pretty cool dad.

"I'm well, Eren. Now, what can I do for you? Do you need something?" Now, Eren felt a bit guilty in this moment, because he didn't call his dad as often as he probably should, so of course Grisha would automatically think that Eren needed something if he was calling. Ouch.

"Who says I need anything?" Eren bit his lip, waiting for a response.

"Out with it, Eren. I'm not stupid, and I know my own son very well." Grisha replied, though Eren could tell he was teasing him, but serious at that same time.

"Oh, fine. My roommate has no plans for the holidays. He literally has no family or friends he can be with, so I was wondering if I could invite him to come spend it with us?"

"Of course, Eren. I would love to meet your roommate, and I'm sure your mother would be thrilled. Just give us a call to let us know if he is coming for sure."

Eren grinned ear to ear, though he knew that would be the response going into this. "Okay! Thanks, dad!" The pair exchanged a few more pleasantries before hanging up, and Eren smiled at Kim across the table. "It looks like Levi will even be my roommate off campus."

The pair finished their lunch, and Eren hurried back to the dorms. He entered the room where Levi was sitting in his spot on the love seat watching TV. Eren joined him, sitting on the other sofa. When a commercial break came on, Eren spoke up. "Hey, Levi."

"What, Brat?"

Eren steeled himself for complete rejection, "If you really don't have plans for the holidays, why don't you come spend it with me and my family?"

Levi turned to face him, "What?"

"Even if you don't have a family, you can always share mine, if you want. They are super awesome. My mom is the best cook in the world, and will make the juiciest, most delicious turkey you have ever had, and she will probably make a home-made apple pie, too. My dad is pretty cool, too. He's the one that has always been there for me when I've had questions or just needed someone to talk to. I think if you and my sister had a chance to get to know each other, you would actually get along really well." Levi looked completely baffled, and for the first time Eren may have made Levi completely speechless.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to, but like I said before, no one should have to spend the holidays alone. You are welcome to come spend the Christmas break with us, too." When Eren stopped speaking, Levi just stared back with the TV still speaking softly in the background.

The raven looked away, "are you serious?"

Eren nodded, leaning forward a little on the couch, "Of course. I don't want you to have to be alone."

Levi sighed, "I would like that, but I really don't want to impose on your family."

"Are you kidding, Levi? My family is super chill, and besides, I already asked my dad if I could invite you, and he said that he and my mom both really want to meet you. They are already planning on you. Don't worry about it!"

Levi couldn't bring himself to look back at Eren, "Thank you. I can't really turn down an offer like that…" It was quiet for a moment, and Eren looked to Levi in slight shock. He had expected to be shot down faster than he could even bring up the subject. Not the case it seems, but Levi could only be gracious for a short moment, as it turns out, "But I won't forget that you are a brat just because you invited me to your family's home."

Eren laughed boisterously, "I wouldn't expect anything less!"

Eren was thrilled that Levi would be joining him for the holidays. It was more than just being kind, because Eren wanted to see what Levi was like outside of the school setting. This would be a chance for the brunet to learn lots more about his current roommate. The next week couldn't pass quickly enough as the two went to classes, and Eren went to work like normal. Of course, he still met Kim every day for lunch at their usual booth in the café down the street.

Finally, Friday came around, and Eren was meeting Kim for the last time until after the break. They sat in their booth, chatting idly about nothing in particular, switching topics frequently and drinking their coffee. The weather was starting to chill, and the café was a little more packed than normal with students no longer sitting at the tables outside due to the chilled wind that swept across the campus.

Eren was having a harder time than usual focusing on his conversation with his new friend, and Kim could tell, "earth to Eren!"

For the third time, the brunet snapped out of a trance and looked back up. "Huh?"

"Gosh, Eren, what's with you today? Too excited about spending an entire week at Levi's side?" The girl was relentless about teasing Eren about Levi when she got going. Eren hoped to avoid that scenario.

"No, heavens no. The man is an asshole. I only invited him to be nice."

Kim made a buzzing sound, "wrong answer, my friend. You are so head over heals for this man you keep calling an 'asshole'. You know you are, and don't try to tell me otherwise."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"NO!"

"Well if you're not, then you are well on your way."

Eren blushed, "What the hell makes you think that?"

"You won't stop daydreaming, and you talk about him almost nonstop. It's always 'Levi this', or 'Levi that', or 'You won't believe what Levi said'." Kim lowered her voice in an attempt to match Eren's baritone.

"I'm so not like that!" Eren pouted at the girl.

"You so are, though, and the best part is that you don't even realize it." Kim laughed at Eren's expression, which was bordering between anger and pouting.

"Whatever. I gotta go. I told Levi I would be back in time for us to leave by two. If I'm not back in the next few minutes he might chop my dick off or something."

Kim giggled, "See, I told you."

"Oh, stop it. I will see you after the break. Have a good Thanksgiving!" Eren grabbed his backpack and exited the shop, walking back to the dorms in the cool fall wind. When he entered the dorm he was glad everything he needed was already packed. He would just need to get a few things from his backpack, and he was ready.

As Eren closed the front door Levi came out of his room with a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. They were both aware that they would be staying at Eren's house until the next Saturday, so they took enough clothes and other necessities for about 8 to 9 days. Levi didn't seem like he was overly thrilled to be going, but Eren thought maybe he was just glad he wouldn't have to spend his Thanksgiving alone, so he didn't complain. The two boys were ready to go within the next ten minutes, and they left the apartment, turning off the lights as they went.

Eren didn't have a car, so Levi had offered to drive so that no one would have to go pick them up. Eren was rather excited about the two hour car ride in Levi's sleek, black Audi. He had only been in it once, but he could still vividly remember the soft leather and beautiful stereo system that he never actually got to hear. He would even get to ride shotgun this time. The two threw their bags into the trunk and settled themselves in front.

The vehicle purred to life as Levi pushed a button to start it. Eren was surprised that there was no key involved in starting it, and spent the first two minutes in the car examining the interior while Levi pulled out of the resident parking lot. When they were on the road, Eren asked, "Hey, why don't we listen to some music?"

"That's fine. Choose whatever you want. I'm not picky," Levi reached out to turn the stereo on, and the smooth notes of a piano filled the car. Levi had been listening to the classical station last, it turns out. "You can Bluetooth your phone if you want. It would be better than having commercials every 20 minutes."

Eren pulled his phone out of his back pocket and set to work on setting up his Bluetooth with the car's stereo system. When he had finished that he turned on his favorite playlist. It was a safe choice for music because it had a wide variety, and nothing too extreme in any direction. No hard rock, no unintelligible rap, or anything else like it. Very alternative. The music played at a low volume while the two men conversed over trivial things, and Eren gave Levi directions when needed. Once in a while, though, Eren would hear a song that he couldn't resist singing to, and the music would go up while he sang his heart out.

Eren knew he didn't have much when it came to vocals, but he put his heart and soul into it anyways. On about the fifth song like this, Eren came to a realization. Levi had once mentioned that his minor was voice. And if Eren could put two and two together, which he could, that would mean Levi could sing. It then became Eren's mission to get Levi to sing, if only a little. His singing became more exciting as he pointed at Levi and danced in his place. Levi shook his head.

Finally, Believer came on, by Imagine Dragons, and there was no way Levi could use any kind of excuse with Imagine Dragons. Everyone knows them and their songs. Eren begged Levi to sing with him, "Come on, Levi. Just one song! And don't you dare tell me you don't know this song!"

"No."

"Aww, you're no fun…" Eren pouted and refused to go back to having fun, until finally, at the last verse, he could hear a new voice joining in:

 _Last things last_

 _By the grace of the fire and the flames_

 _You're the face of the future the blood in my veins_

 _Oh-ooo-_

 _The blood in my veins, Oh-ooo-_

 _But they never did, ever lived,_

 _Ebbin' and flowin', inhibited, limited_

' _til it broke open then rained down_

 _It rained down, like…_

Eren, completely thrilled by having heard Levi's truly incredible vocals, joined in for the chorus, and they sang until the last note. When the song ended, Eren was practically vibrating in his seat. Levi was finally starting to open up to him little by little.

Eren was able to get Levi to sing a few more songs with him in the time that remained of their car ride, and Eren could swear he saw a small smile on his face more than once on the way. Eren was actually kind of sad when they pulled up to his childhood home and their time like this would be over. He just hoped he could get Levi to open up a little bit more in their week together for the holiday. They were making good progress, after all.


	9. Chapter 9

**IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTE BEFORE READING THIS CHAPTER! Alright, everyone. The newest installment of this story is here, and guess what? I did it in less than two weeks! Can you even believe it? And guess what else? The next chapter is almost done, too! Wow, I feel like I've accomplished a lot these last few days. Anyways, one quick warning that Levi mentions a couple of horrible things towards the end of this chapter, so basically trigger warning for abuse of many forms, though it doesn't go into detail. Like I said, he only mentions it. Besides that, enjoy! Don't forget to Review! Happy Reading! ~HeartQueenVivaldi**

Never Regret

Chapter 9

Eren and Levi pulled up to Eren's childhood home, and they parked in Eren's old spot in the driveway from his high school days when his parents had bought him a cheap car that barely lasted through graduation. When the car died they had told him that the next one he would have to buy himself. He still hadn't gotten that far, using buses and walking where he could, or bribing Mikasa or Armin to take him places. Mikasa's car wasn't there, so he was able to assume she hadn't gotten there yet, either.

The roommates stepped out of the car, retrieving their bags from the trunk, and heading up the front steps. Levi trailed behind Eren a bit, and the brunet couldn't help but wonder if maybe Levi was a little nervous. After all, he didn't know anyone he was about to stay with for the next week. Then again, maybe Eren was just being paranoid.

The brunet opened the door and the pair stepped inside, taking off their shoes in the entryway. Eren looked back at Levi, who was looking at a picture on the wall. It was the last family portrait they had taken before Mikasa and Eren went off to college two and a half years earlier. The raven pointed at Mikasa in the picture. "I met her."

Eren nodded. "Yeah. On move-in day. You were set on not saying a word to either of us unless it was degrading in some way."

Levi looked at Eren, "No, that's…"

The raven was never able to finish as Eren's mom came around the corner, "Eren! My sweet boy!" The woman pulled Eren into a crushing hug, then held him at arm length, "You are so skinny! Well, we will get you fattened up this week!" She then turned to the Raven, "and you must be Levi." Levi nodded and held out a hand for a handshake. "Oh, honey, no handshakes from me in this house. Hugs only!" Then she wrapped Levi up in a hug similar to the one she gave Eren. The brunet stifled a laugh as Levi blushed in her grasp. Levi glared murderously at the choking sound Eren made.

When the woman finally let him go, Levi spoke up for the first time since seeing her, "You have a beautiful home, Mrs. Jaeger."

"Why thank you, but you can just call me Carla, okay?" Levi nodded. "Alright, boys. Eren why don't you take Levi upstairs and you two can drop off your bags. Levi will be staying in the room next to yours. Once you have done that, show him around, then I could use some help finishing up tonight's dinner, okay?"

Eren nodded, "Okay, ma."

Carla disappeared back around the corner to the kitchen. Eren showed Levi up the stairs, and once they started climbing, Eren spoke to Levi, "Sorry about my mom. She just likes to love everybody."

"It's alright. She's nice." Levi paused while Eren opened a door and threw his bag inside, then closed it and kept walking until the next door. He opened it and showed Levi inside. It was a perfect little spare room. A queen sized bed took up a large portion of the center of the room, and a small desk was placed in the corner. There was a closet, but it looked to be empty.

"Yeah, my mom is pretty cool. She can be kind of overbearing at first, but once you warm up to her, she really is awesome," Eren seemed to be reminiscing about something as he went quiet and had a small smile on his face. Levi sat down on the edge of the bed and waited for Eren to continue, as he always does. Soon enough, Eren laughed lightly and continued on, "When I first came out I was fifteen. I was helping my mom make cookies when I told her. She didn't even bat an eye and said, and I quote, 'that's nice, now hand me the chocolate chips'." Eren laughed, "I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I half expected some questioning, or… I don't know… anything but that. She's been nothing but supportive ever since.

"And my dad. He's been just as good about it. When I told him he simply hugged me and told me he loved me." Eren came to sit by Levi on the bed, who watched Eren intently, recalling his own story. "I feel like I'm pretty lucky. Not everyone gets full support from their parents no matter what they do."

Levi nodded and looked down at his hands folded in his lap. "You are very lucky. When I came out to my uncle he hit me. I hadn't even told him I was gay, I just told him I thought maybe I liked guys, too. I thought maybe I was bi at first. Anyways, He thought he could beat the evil out of me."

"Gay is not evil, and that's horrible. I'm so sorry." Eren touched Levi lightly on the shoulder, "you won't get any of that here, I promise. My family is very accepting of everyone, no matter what. But were you raised by your uncle?"

Levi nodded again, "yeah. He wasn't much of a guardian, though. He was a drunk and abusive. Both my brother and I got out of that house as soon as we had the chance."

"Brother?" Eren inquired.

"Yeah, I have a brother. I don't know much about him anymore though." Levi thought for a moment, "he could be dead for all I know. Though probably not. He stops to see me when he's around, which isn't often, but at least I know he thinks about me on occasion, or I would never see him."

"That's good at least."

"Yeah."

"Enough with the serious talk. Come on, I'll show you around." Levi followed Eren around the house as he pointed out where everything was. The house was not only beautiful as Levi had previously observed, but huge, too. There was a theater in the basement, and a game room with a pool table and a ping pong table. The top floor had a small library and a big room that looked out over the expansive back yard. The bedrooms were mostly located on the second floor. There was a formal sitting room in the front of the house, and Levi was drawn to the gorgeous looking Steinway baby grand piano sitting in the corner. Eren told him he could play it later, and that his mom would die to hear someone play something on it. On the other side of the entry way from the sitting room was a closed, glass door. Eren explained that it was his dad's home office. In the back of the house was the last area with a dining room, casual living room with a giant TV, and the kitchen all in one big room. The house really was gorgeous all the way through.

The pair approached the kitchen, where Carla was listening to music coming from a stereo on the counter top and dancing a little as she added ingredients to a salad. She turned to see the duo, and set them to work on different things. Levi was in charge of the potatoes and Eren was making the sauce for the chicken that was in the oven. Levi hummed appreciatively at the aromas floating around the space as he thinly sliced potatoes and put them in a pan with butter and seasonings. This was bound to be a delicious meal.

They were just about done cooking when a door opened just across from the kitchen, and a kind-looking man walked through. Carla approached the man and gave him a kiss on the cheek, and Eren followed soon after, giving his dad a hug. The man then approached Levi who was drying his hands on a towel after washing. "You must be Levi, correct?"

"Yes, sir." Levi nodded, shaking the man's hand.

"Oh, no need to call me 'sir', Levi. Grisha will do just fine." The man smiled kindly, and patted Levi on the shoulder. "It's nice to finally meet you. Eren talks about you more than I think even he realizes." The man laughed and Eren protested with a groan of "Dad" while holding the "a" longer than necessary.

Grisha ignored the complaint and turn to his wife, "Dinner smells amazing, darling. What are we having?"

"Chicken. Now go change so we can eat. Mikasa should be here any time now. We will eat as soon as she gets here."

"Yes, dear." Grisha kissed Carla on the cheek and went to do as he was told.

Eren leaned over to Levi, still stirring the sauce on the stove, "Dad's a doctor at Trost hospital. He works in the emergency room. He's super smart."

Carla heard this and spoke from where she was pulling the chicken out of the oven, "You are very smart, too, Eren. He's where you get it from."

"Yeah, but I'm not as smart as he is."

"Not true, Eren. He has put in thousands of hours studying and learning. You could be just as smart or smarter than he is if you were to do the same." Carla didn't sound like she was chastising Eren, just stating the facts.

Eren shrugged, letting it go, and the conversation ended. The trio moved the food from the pans to platters and placed them on the table. They finished setting the places at the table and right on time. Mikasa walked in the door and Grisha came down the stairs.

Mikasa got a giant Carla hug, and a smaller, but still loving hug from Grisha, and they all sat down to eat.

Mikasa didn't seem to notice that Levi was there for a few minutes until she looked up and across the table where Levi was sitting next to Eren. "What are you doing here?"

Levi raised an eyebrow, and was about to answer, but Eren cut in first, "He didn't have any plans for Thanksgiving, and was going to spend it alone, so I invited him along."

Mikasa scrunched her face in confusion and pointed at the pair, "I thought you two hated each other."

Eren laughed, "we did at first, but I actually don't hate him anymore. I can't say I like him either, but…" Levi sent a glare sideways to Eren, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Don't kill me. I actually don't mind having him around anymore. I have started to understand him, and we actually seem to get along okay now." Eren paused, "most of the time, anyways."

Levi rolled his eyes at his roommate, but stayed quiet, content to let Eren speak for him at the moment. The conversation moved to other topics, but Mikasa kept eyeing him. Grisha spoke up, asking Levi a question. "So, what is your major, Levi?"

"I'm a piano composition and performance major."

"Very nice. Is that a double major, then?"

Levi nodded, "Yes, it is."

"That's difficult to do. You must be talented."

"I think I'm alright."

"Oh, don't be modest, Levi," Eren interjected, "You're an incredible pianist. I could listen to you play all day long."

"That almost sounded like a love confession, Eren." Carla giggled.

"Mom, stop. But if you want to hear about love confessions, I've got a good story for you."

"Eren, no." Levi already knew where this was going.

"Eren, yes," Eren continued anyways, well aware that he might turn up missing some limbs later. It would be worth it. "I came home from Halloween this year to find Levi completely drunk off his ass, and he told me I was cute. Then he wanted to 'tap that'," Eren held up his hands and used air quotes, "as he said. He even said I have a nice ass."

Grisha and Carla laughed, and Levi rounded on Eren, "I did not!"

Eren chuckled, "Oh yes you did." Levi groaned. "Just admit it, you're attracted to me."

"I would never say something like that! And I am not!" Levi speared a potato with his fork and popped it in his mouth.

"Just because you were blackout drunk and don't remember it, doesn't mean it didn't happen. You are a very honest drunk, and your true self comes out. You know as well as I do that those weren't the only things you said that night."

Levi's face went dark, "Don't you dare say anything else."

Eren looked Levi dead in the eyes, "Never."

The look on Levi's face softened, and he looked surprised. That conversation ended there, and Levi quietly turned back to his food. Eren could practically hear the gears turning in Levi's head.

The rest of the dinner went smoothly, except that Mikasa wouldn't stop glaring at Levi. He noticed, but didn't say anything, not wanting to cause any more problems. When dinner was over Grisha and Mikasa were on dishes, so Levi and Eren were excused. Levi went to the back door to go outside, and Eren followed.

Eren found Levi sitting on the back patio facing the yard, clearly still thinking deeply about something. Eren joined him, pulling up another chair. Neither of them spoke for a long time.

When the silence finally broke, it was Levi who broke it, "What did you mean when you said 'Never'?"

Eren looked sideways at Levi, "Isn't it obvious? That is a very personal part of your life, and I would never share that without your permission, and even then it's iffy. If you want to share that story it should be your choice, and you should be the one to do it."

One slim eyebrow rose, "You mean you haven't told anyone since I told you."

"Not a soul." Eren looked Levi in the eyes to prove he wasn't lying. "Did you expect me to?"

Levi looked back out at the expansive lawn, "In a way, yes. Most people would go and tell a best friend, or want to talk to someone about it." They fell silent for another minute. Levi's next statement took Eren by surprise, "Thank you. That makes me feel like I can trust you. I haven't felt that in a very long time."

"Why not?" Eren asked.

Levi opened his mouth just as Carla came out with two little plates with brownies and vanilla ice cream on them, "Hey, boys. I thought you would like a home-made brownie."

They each took a plate and thanked her, and she disappeared back inside. Eren waited again for Levi to continue. They ate their dessert in silence, except for one mention from Levi of, "This is delicious." When they had finished and stacked their plates on the little table between them, Levi finally answered Eren's question. "I told you earlier today that I was raised by my uncle Kenny." Eren nodded, "and I told you he was abusive." Eren nodded again.

Levi took a deep breath and sighed, "I guess it's story time again. Can we go take a walk?" Eren nodded.

"Absolutely. Let me just take these plates inside, then we can go walk around the yard." Eren ran the plates inside and returned in just a few minutes, and the two went down to walk around the massive expanse of lawn and different kinds of fruit trees in the back yard.

Levi started abruptly, as if he just wanted to get it over with, "My mom died when I was only a year old. I think it was a brain tumor or something like that. I don't really know. I don't even remember her. I would ask my brother about it frequently, but he always said he couldn't remember much about her either. The only thing either of us can vividly remember from our childhood is Kenny. Kenny beating us, Kenny insulting us, Kenny refusing to take us places, Kenny calling us filthy bastards, Kenny making us clean the whole house by ourselves. There's even a few instances I have tried to block from my mind of Kenny abusing us sexually as well. I don't remember him ever actually raping us, and he only ever did it when he was shit-face drunk, but he would still touch us in places we knew he wasn't supposed to touch us. I knew what an orgasm was and what cum tasted like long before most kids even know that touching down there feels good.

"I honestly hated him. We both did. We couldn't tell him things. I found that out when I was 12 and first started to think I might possibly be gay. I just wasn't interested in girls. I was far more interested in the other boys. Like I said, he tried to beat the 'evil' out of me. He thought being gay was evil. I had tried so hard even before then to get out of that house as soon as possible. I worked hard in school, I was able to skip a few grades, and I graduated by the time I was 15. It was heaven-sent. I was able to get a job and provide for myself enough that I left. I haven't looked back. I never wanted to return no matter how bad things got. I met Isabel and Farlan not too long after, the three of us got desperate, and we got into some things we shouldn't have gotten into.

"To answer your question, Eren, I have a hard time trusting anyone. I don't really even trust my own brother. He's gay, too, but he scares me. He convinced me to… well, I'll leave that one to your imagination. Anyways, I never trusted Kenny either, obviously. The only people I have ever found myself putting all of my trust in were Izzy and Farlan. Hanji I half-way trust, and I guess I sort of trust Erwin, but I would never tell either of them this story. They only know about Isabel and Farlan because they were there. Had they not been there, they wouldn't know. I just have a hard time trusting. And you can probably see why. It's kind of new for me to be able to trust someone the way I've found myself trusting you. I don't know what it is." Levi looked at the ground through the whole story, and Eren found himself glad he didn't have to look Levi in the eyes for fear of what he may have found in those molten silver orbs. "The thing is, I do trust you enough to tell you these things, Eren. But please don't break that trust. If you do, you may never get it back. No one will…"

Eren stopped walking, "I would never do that."

Levi stopped and turned to face him, "I know, and I trust your word. But for both our sakes, I hope you don't."

Eren walked the few steps to be closer to Levi. "You really trust me?"

"I just said that didn't I?" Levi was about to turn away, but Eren put a hand on his arm. Levi looked up at Eren, silver met jade, and it was suddenly like gravity was pulling them together. Levi stiffened as Eren was suddenly only inches from him. Neither moved or dared to even breathe. The tension was thick until finally Eren worked up the courage to close the small space between them. Their lips met, and Levi stiffened a little more. The kiss lasted only a few seconds, and Eren pulled away. Levi gaped at him, and Eren sighed.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." Eren bit his lip and looked away.

"Do it again."

Eren whipped his head back so fast he thought he might have given himself whiplash, "what?"

Levi rolled his eyes, visibly relaxing, "damn brat. Do it again."

Eren inhaled sharply, closing the distance once again. This time their lips met with a feverish intensity. Levi reached up to wrap his arms around Eren's neck to hold him there, and Eren held Levi around the waist. Their lips parted at the same time, and their tongues danced. They kissed until both sets of lungs were screaming for air. When they parted they rested their foreheads together, breathing each other's air. Eren smelled like a thunderstorm, and Levi smelled like Lemons. Each thought the other was perfect. They shared one more chaste kiss, lingering for just a moment until they heard Mikasa calling for Eren. "We should go back, or she will start looking for us."

Levi laughed airily through his nose, "we wouldn't want that."

"No way." Eren pulled back to look at Levi, who had the tiniest hint of a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. Eren grinned ear to ear, "See, I told you, you were attracted to me."

"Oh, shut up." Eren swore he saw a hint of a blush on Levi's face. He decided to test that theory, and whispered into Levi's ear. The red got deeper. Yep, definitely a blush.

"Are you…blushing?" Eren gaped.

"What, no." Levi looked away.

"Did I get the ever-stoic, hardcore, total badass Levi to _blush_?"

Levi looked away, and Eren stepped in front of him. "No… It's… It's the cold."

Levi tried to walk away, but Eren stopped him again, "huh. It's the cold. And not that I told you 'your face is freaking adorable and I bet the rest of you is too'?"

Levi turned a furious shade of red, and his voice cracked, "n-no."

Eren laughed again, and pulled Levi in for another kiss. Finally, Levi pushed Eren away a little, "You shouldn't say stuff like that so loud, either. What if someone heard you, like, you know, your sister." The two started back toward the house.

Eren, at the mention of Mikasa, had another question for Levi, "speaking of Mikasa, you said you had met her before, but it wasn't…" Eren trailed off, not sure where to take this.

"Oh, yeah. Is she adopted?"

Eren glanced at Levi, "yeah, she is. Why?"

"She just looks familiar. What was her original last name?"

"It's still her last name. It never changed. It's Ackerman." Suddenly Eren gasped, "Wait a minute. That's your last name."

Levi nodded, "I probably could have guessed that, actually. I met her years ago when she was just a little kid. No more than 4 or 5 years old. She was adopted when she was 6, right?"

Eren nodded, "yeah, we were both 6."

"And her parents were murdered, correct?"

"Yeah, and they found her…"

"…in the closet, hiding." Levi sighed, "Yep, that's her. She's my cousin, by blood. My uncle refused to take her in because he already had two to look after that weren't his. She's awful lucky to have that scenario. I can't imagine having a girl under his care. It could have been really bad."

Eren stared at Levi in shock, stopping on the grass, just in view of the house where they could see Mikasa's outline on the patio. "Wait, you two are family by blood?"

"Looks that way, yeah." Levi looked up to the house, "I've always wondered what happened to her. Now I know."

"So how did you meet?" Eren inquired.

They were approaching the house now, so Levi's response was short, "I'll tell you when we are alone again. It's another rather personal story."

When they ascended the back stairs, Mikasa was waiting for them. She told them Carla wanted everyone to watch a movie together, so they all went inside. Mikasa made Eren sit on the leather love seat, and she quickly sat down next to him so that Levi would have to sit somewhere else, and that ended up being in the recliner on the other side of the room. Eren just shrugged when Levi sent him a questioning look, then wondered when he would get the chance to hear this new story about Levi and Mikasa, and what shaped both of their pasts.


	10. Chapter 10

**Man, I'm on a roll these last few days! Two chapters in two days. That's a lot for me, as you all know. More mentions of abuse in this chapter, but again, no details, and nothing too serious. Also, things get a little heated towards the end, but they don't go too far. Enjoy our boys learning more and more about each other as their vacation moves forward! Don't forget to review! ~HeartQueenVivaldi**

Never Regret

Chapter 10

As it turned out, Eren didn't get the chance to hear that story for quite a bit longer than he originally thought. Mikasa wouldn't leave Eren alone for the rest of the night. By the time he was alone, Levi was in his own room, and Eren was too tired to stay awake anyways. He fell asleep quickly.

Then he was woken up by none other than Mikasa. She was practically glued to him for the majority of the day. She made him help with breakfast, they watched TV for a while, then they helped with lunch, then it was playing basketball outside, even though it was colder than the day before, and Eren was freezing by the time they went back inside. They even sat side by side during meals, with Levi across from Eren instead of next to him. By the time dinner came around and Eren had hardly even seen Levi in passing, he'd had enough. Levi entered the room, and Eren pushed him to sit down at the table, and then sat down next to him as quickly as possible so that Mikasa either had to sit across from them or say something about it.

She did nothing but glare at Levi with a heat Eren hadn't seen in her for quite some time. Levi raised his eyebrows, "What on earth is going on?"

"Never mind that," Eren interjected before Mikasa had time to respond, "How has your day been? What did you do?"

Levi tore his eyes away from the glare on his cousin's face to look at Eren, "It was fine. I got the chance to play the piano for your parents, and then your dad gave me a couple books to read that he thought I might like, and we talked about that for quite some time up in the library. Your mom also gave me the recipe for those amazing brownies."

Mikasa sat down across from Eren in a huff, then pouted during the whole meal, hardly even touching her food, which was her favorite: spaghetti with home made sauce and made from scratch noodles.

When the majority of them had their fill of spaghetti, and were sitting back talking and laughing, Carla noticed Mikasa still picking at her food, "Mikasa, honey. Why aren't you eating your food? It's your favorite."

Mikasa glanced up at Eren and the brunet could see a glint in her eyes that spelled trouble for him. She turned to Carla, "I haven't seen Eren since school started, and all he wants to do is be with Levi. He sees Levi every day, and now he can't even be bothered to sit with me during a meal."

"What are you talking about, Mika? I've spent the entire day with you!" Eren protested Mikasa's complaint.

"Yeah, but I could tell you didn't want to, though. You've been spacing out on me all day."

"Mikasa, Levi is my guest and I should be the one entertaining him. Mom and Dad shouldn't have to be doing it for me."

"But you hate Levi!"

"Why in the hell would I hate him?"

"Because you said it yourself, Eren, He's an asshole!" Mikasa stood up, "after the way he looked at you during dinner yesterday, and the way he argued with you, are you seriously still going to stand up for him?"

Eren stood up next, "you don't even know what you're talking about. Do you even know what he was angry about? Do you realize that what I said after that changed everything and that's why he didn't respond? Do you even know what we were arguing about in the first place? Yeah, he can be an asshole, but at least I know why he is the way he is, and I also know he doesn't mean it. He's just stubborn, and guess what? So am I. I probably come across as an asshole, too sometimes."

"But Eren, he looked like he was going to murder you over a few unspoken words."

"And if you knew what those unspoken words were, you would understand why. I would be angry, too." Eren stared her down, challenging her to speak up again.

"I can't believe this. Even after he argued with you over something so dumb…"

"And what are you doing right now?" Eren watched her jaw drop, "I'd say what you are doing right now is far worse than the little tiff the two of us had yesterday. So am I supposed to hate your guts now because of an argument? No, I won't. Know why? Because everyone deserves another chance. Everyone deserves a chance to be understood. I get where you are coming from Mikasa, but you don't even know him. You won't even give him a chance. You're the one who told me to give him a chance in the first place, remember?"

Eren didn't even give her time to respond before pushing away from the table and leaving the room. Levi sighed and shook his head, following shortly after, excusing himself from the table. He found Eren in the basement setting up a game of pool.

When Levi closed the door to the room, Eren turned around to see who it was. He was clearly still angry, so Levi just stayed quiet. Eren spoke first, "Want to play?" The brunet held out a cue stick to Levi, who took it wordlessly.

Eren broke, then they played, just trying to hit the balls in the holes in number order, not even keeping track of the score or anything. That was fine for Levi. Eren just needed time to cool down anyways. Both of them were actually very good at the game, and pretty soon it became a competition to see who could get the best trick shot, but still only get the next ball in the order. Two games of this later, and Eren was back to laughing and teasing Levi about everything.

"So, Eren?" It was now Levi's turn to ask questions.

"Hmm?" The brunet responded as he put the cues back up on the rack and hung the triangle back under the table.

"I'm stubborn, huh?" Levi smiled a little, facing away from Eren so that the other male couldn't see it.

"Yeah," Eren responded, "A stubborn asshole that insists on calling me a brat."

"That's because you are a brat." Levi turned back around to see Eren a lot closer to him than he was before. Levi could reach out and touch him if he wanted to.

Eren chuckled, "You know, when I first met you that word had a very different meaning."

"What word?"

"Brat." Eren took another step closer, "Now it has an almost affectionate meaning behind it."

Levi sighed, "Maybe you're right, and maybe not."

"I like to think I'm right. Don't rain on my parade." Another step closer, and Eren leaned down to give Levi a sweet, chaste kiss. He pulled away, but placed his hands on Levi's waist, pulling the raven with him as he leaned back against the pool table. Leaning back with his legs spread just enough for Levi to fit between them, they were a lot closer to the same height, and this made it easier for them to kiss. No bending necks, and no tippy toes. They stayed like that for quite some time, bickering lightly, as usual, and sharing small kisses until Eren suggested something new, "Why don't we move this party upstairs to the room by the library. The couch up there is rather comfortable, even for two people. And not only that, we can see the stars because the roof is glass there."

"It is?" Levi asked, "I didn't notice that."

Eren nodded and pushed away from the table, "It's a lot better than the basement. No doubt about that." He took Levi and led him through the house, glad that no one was around as they made their way up three flights of stairs and into the designated room. Eren turned to close and lock the door behind him. When he turned back around after turning off the lights he found Levi standing in the middle of the room looking up at the sky through the glass roof.

Eren sat down on the leather couch and glanced up to the sky for a short minute before looking back at Levi. But Levi was no longer looking at the stars, he was watching Eren. When their eyes met Eren smiled and patted the couch next to him. Levi sighed and shook his head. The brunet was a little confused until Levi approached him, and instead of sitting on the couch next to Eren, took the liberty of straddling his lap, wrapping his arms around Eren's neck, and leaning forward to kiss him. This kiss was different than the others. There was almost something desperate about it, and Eren was almost concerned.

The brunet pulled away a little and gave Levi a questioning look, "Is something wrong, Levi?"

The raven tightened his hold around Eren and buried his face in the side of the other's neck, "I don't really know. I've never felt this before."

Eren rubbed Levi's back, "What are you feeling?"

Levi pulled back, "It's weird, I almost feel… afraid…"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Eren asked in genuine curiosity.

"Loss," Levi stated plainly. When Eren didn't seem to get it, he elaborated, "I'm trusting you, but it's scary for me. The last time I put my trust in someone I lost them for good. That hurts more than you could ever imagine."

Eren understood, but at the same time, couldn't wrap his head around it, "Do you honestly think the same thing is going to happen twice?"

"It could, but that's not what I'm concerned about. I am about to reveal a big part of my past to you, and I'm afraid that in trusting you with this information you might hate me for it once you know."

"Levi, I could never hate you, no matter what you tell me. You could have killed someone before, and I still couldn't find it in me to truly hate you. Anything that happened in the past is just that, in the past. All that matters is who you are now."

Levi was still a little tense, "but what if my past is what makes me who I am?"

"Then you must have done something right." Levi sighed in acceptance that he would just have to tell Eren and see what happened once he did.

"You wanted to know how I met Mikasa." Eren nodded. "This story begins before I was even born. My mother was a prostitute. My brother was born when she was only nineteen, and I came along four years later. She probably couldn't even tell us who our fathers were even if she were here to ask. She struggled a lot being a single mother of two kids, and she was so young. Then she started getting sick. I was young enough that I don't remember a thing about her. I don't even know what she died from. I think I told you that last night." Eren nodded again, "the only thing I can truly recall from my childhood is my uncle, who had no choice but to take us in.

"My brother and I took care of ourselves a lot. Kenny wasn't around much but when he was, he was cruel. I told you some of the things he did to us. The most consistent thing, though, was the name calling. He called us some variation of bastards every day. He called us filthy, disgusting, pathetic excuses for human beings. I can't even count the number of times he told us we should never have been born.

"He left us behind a lot when he had things he had to go to. That included family gatherings. He would usually leave us with a neighbor keeping an eye on us, though he never made them come over, or made us go over there. But the neighbor was never any better than being with Kenny. He always found the worst neighbor possible. One time, though, he couldn't find anyone to watch over us. I was probably 9 or 10, and my brother 13 or 14. We tried to get him to leave us alone, but that was apparently out of the question. He took us with him, to a family event for the evening.

"We were only allowed to sit in the corner. He gave us each a little plate of food and told us to stay quiet and behave. We ate in complete silence. We watched the people for a while. Then into the room came a man and a woman with a little girl with black hair and black eyes. The man, my brother told me later, was our other uncle. Our mom's other brother that refused to take us in. They saw us and ignored us completely. A few others had said things like Kenny said every day, but them ignoring us completely… hurt worse than anything they could have said.

"Neither of us knew who the little girl was, but she was clearly well taken care of. I found myself jealous of the girl they called Mikasa. Until a year later I heard my uncle talking about her situation. He wouldn't take her in after a brutal break-in and murder. She was found hiding in a closet where she had apparently watched as the strange man killed both of her parents. I no longer envied her. Her situation was no longer any better than my own.

"And that's how I met the girl who is now your sister." Throughout the story, Levi once again didn't look up at Eren, but down at his shirt. "Though we never really talked, I just saw her."

"Do you think she knows?" Eren asked, and Levi looked back up at him.

"No. How could she?" Both were quiet as they both thought about the possibility of them meeting again like this so many years later. Eren's mind soon went in another direction, though.

"Why would I hate you for this again?"

Levi looked genuinely surprised by this, "you don't care that I am literally a bastard. I have no father and I never will. I don't even know his name or what he looks like."

"So what? Your mom's life doesn't define yours. That was her decision, not yours. Why should you have to suffer for something you have no control over. And who the hell cares about any of that anyways? You don't choose your parents." Eren was so genuine in his response that Levi lost control of his emotions that had built up over 26 years. 26 years of abuse, paranoia, and the deep rooted belief that he should never have been born.

"Eren," Levi whispered as he hid his face once again in Eren's neck as he pulled his emotions back into check, forcing himself not to cry, "Thank you."

They sat like that for a long time just enjoying each other's presence. Then Eren came up with one more question, "Levi, can I ask you one last question? One last thing I still don't know?"

The raven sat back on Eren's thighs, "I don't think I could not answer you at this point. What do you want to know?"

"What did the three of you, meaning you, Isabel, and Farlan, get into that you have avoided telling me about thus far?" Eren let the question fall without pretense, and Levi tensed a little at the question.

He soon relaxed though, remembering that he could trust his roommate, "We had a few friends that convinced us to run drug deliveries. Eventually we weren't errand runners anymore, and we were the actual dealers. It was better money than you could even imagine. We bought a house and paid for it with cash, we all had cars, and had plenty left over to do with whatever we wanted.

"I will say I am proud of myself in this instance for one thing only: I never, not even once, tried any kind of drug. I smoked, and that's bad, but I have never, ever done drugs." Eren raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Anyways, we eventually got to the point where we were disappointed in ourselves for involving ourselves in drugs, though, and the guilt was eating us alive, so we cut all contact with everyone we knew, got new phones, sold our first house, moved into the house I live in now, then we all decided we wanted to go to school. And you know the rest."

Eren kept looking at Levi in disbelief, "You were seriously a drug dealer, and never even though about trying the thing you were selling?"

"I can't say I didn't think about it," Levi clarified for Eren, "but I saw what it did to people, especially over a long period of time, so it was a pretty good deterrent. I think Izzy tried it once, but she's the only one of the three of us that did."

"That's pretty impressive," Eren stated the obvious.

Levi buried his face in Eren's neck again, "Thanks." He was obviously embarrassed, and Eren was starting to notice a pattern that he would hide his face in one way or another when he was embarrassed or feeling sort of bashful.

Eren hugged Levi while they sat in silence until he came up with another question, "can I ask you something else?"

Eren felt more than heard Levi chuckle quietly, "I thought you said that was going to be the last one," He pulled away to look at Eren again, "But yes, go ahead. I will answer."

"Where did you learn to play the piano?"

Eren swore he could see Levi's mouth twitch upwards in a smile at the question, "I taught myself. Kenny had an old upright piano that was horribly out of tune, but while he was gone one day when I was about 5 or 6 years old I found a beginners book that taught me the bare minimum for basics, and I learned from there, basing everything I learned from then on, on those few basics. I practiced a lot, and it took my mind off of the horrible things that happened to me when Kenny was around. Before I knew it I could play anything in Kenny's small selection. I then started to steal money from Kenny little by little to buy music at the music store down the street to make myself better all the time. I would have to hide the music, of course, which looking back was probably a bad idea. Had he ever found that music I could have been in a world of hurt. I guess I got lucky there."

"You seriously taught yourself how to play the piano?" Eren looked even more shocked at this than he did at the drug information.

Levi nodded, "yes, until I started school with Isabel and Farlan and they suggested I major in piano performance at the very least. Then it's a requirement to take lessons from a professor all four years. I found out within a few months of starting school that I was really good at arranging music as well as playing it, and that's where the double major comes in. It's a lot of work, and usually a few extra classes, but it's worth it. I'm doing what I love, and I know Izzy and Farlan would have wanted me to do that."

"You are a very impressive person, you know that?" Eren pulled Levi in for a quick peck on the lips.

Levi pulled away quickly, though, "What makes you say that?"

"You've been through Hell and back a few times, and life doesn't seem to ever cut you a break, but you still keep going. I don't think I would have if I were in your position. I probably would remove myself from everything. I would be dead."

"I almost was, once."

Eren nodded, leaning forward and burying his face in Levi's strong chest, his words muffled by the raven's soft shirt, "I think you mentioned that before."

"I don't think I told you that story, either. Not in detail, anyways. I actually had a gun to my head one day, and I was ready to pull the trigger when Hanji barreled into me, knocking it out of my hands. She took all of my guns away for a long time. She only gave them back to me this last summer. I was lucky to have her there, as mad as I was that she took my guns away. Some of them were Isabel and Farlan's, so they were kind of sentimental, but she ultimately did the right thing."

"Are the guns from your drug dealing days?" Eren asked when he leaned back into the soft back of the couch.

Levi nodded, "Yes. Can we change the subject? This is making me super depressed right now."

Eren chuckled, "of course. What subject would you like to talk about?" Levi didn't answer and leaned in, giving Eren a fiery kiss that conveyed more than words ever could. It was full of trust, hinted at lingering fear, and was tinged with a bit of lust that Eren wanted to taste more of. Eren spoke between kisses that had become lingering pecks, "O… kay…got… it… no… talking…"

Levi growled in frustration, getting off Eren's lap only to push the brunet to lay on his back across the sofa. He climbed back up over Eren, now straddling his waist as they went back to their heated make-out session. Levi ran his hands through chocolate strands of hair then down across the sides of Eren's face, across his neck, and to his chest where they stayed. They parted for air, and Levi wasted no time in moving down to nip lightly at Eren's neck and collar bones, careful not to leave any marks. Eren's breath hitched slightly with each nip, his breathing becoming heavier with each one.

Levi wanted to taste more of Eren, and his hands began to wander once again, stopping at the hem of Eren's shirt, tugging on it slightly, silently asking permission. Eren sat up, stopping his hands on their constant path up and down Levi's back to reach down and pull his shirt up and over his head, leaving his torso bare for the raven. He pulled Levi back down with him in a heated kiss until Levi decided he had too many clothes on. He sat up again, still straddling Eren's waist and pulled his own shirt off, throwing it somewhere on the floor with Eren's.

Eren had yet to see Levi without a shirt on, but was pleasantly surprised. The raven was ridiculously fit, as expected. Every muscle was toned and could be seen rippling as he moved. Though he wasn't disgustingly over-muscled. In Eren's opinion, there was such a thing as too much muscle. Levi had just the right amount, but that wasn't what immediately drew his attention. Swirling beautifully over ivory skin was a black, calligraphy dragon tattoo. It was contained to the left side of his body with the head resting on his pectoral and the neck swirled perfectly around his nipple. It stretch down to the point of the tail that rested just above the line of his jeans. In awe, Eren reached up to trace the part that circled the darkened skin of the raven's nipple. Levi's muscle twitched on contact, and he inhaled sharply.

The raven composed himself enough to speak, "like what you see?" Eren, speechless, nodded wordlessly, Levi smirked and chuckled once before leaning back down to kiss and lick a stripe up Eren's defined abs, sternum, to his jaw, and finally back to his lips. They made out with feverish heat, exploring each other's bodies, even divesting each other of belts, and getting to unbuttoning jeans, when Levi decided they better stop.

He sat up, pulling Eren's hands away from his beltloops and almost laughed out loud at Eren's pout at the action, "As much as I want to defile and deflower you right here and now, we have to remember that we are in your parent's house. From what I can tell, you aren't exactly going to be quiet, based on those moans."

Eren sat up, pushing Levi to sit on the couch, and moving to hover over him, switching positions. The brunet leaned down to kiss along Levi's collarbones, and under his jaw, speaking through the feather-light pressure of his lips, "But I want to see if you have another one of those delicious looking tattoos somewhere else more interesting."

Levi breathed a laugh, "You'll just have to wait and see, won't you, Brat?"

Eren's eyes widened marginally as he sat back on the couch, letting Levi push himself up, " _Do_ you have another tattoo?"

Levi's eyes shone with mischief and playfulness, though the rest of his face stayed blank, except for the smirk playing on his lips, "Like I said, you'll just have to wait and see."

Eren let himself fall back to lay his head on the armrest, "Asshole." He put his hands behind his head, looking up through the ceiling at the stars.

"Brat." Levi noted quickly that Eren hadn't been kidding when he said there was room for two on this couch, and moved up to lay between Eren and the back, resting his head on the brunet's chest, looking out to the star-covered sky that stretched over the massive expanse of property Eren's parents owned.

"Hey Levi?"

"Yeah?"

"Where does this put us?"

Levi tilted his head up to look at Eren, who was still staring at the glass ceiling, or rather what was beyond it, "what do you mean by that?"

Eren responded, "I don't think I can go back to thinking of you as just my asshole of a roommate after all of this. These talks, the kisses, and the other things I've learned about you over these last two days, they've changed the way I see you. I don't know what you think of all of this, but…"

Eren trailed off, waiting for Levi to put in his own two cents. The raven looked back out the window, finding himself more comfortable than ever before. He took a deep breath, "I've never been in a real relationship, Eren. I've never loved that way. I have a hard time letting people see the deepest parts of me, and I think as you get to know me better, you will see that I am not what you seem to think I am. I am broken, and I need to be fixed, but I don't know if I can truly be fixed. There are pieces of me that are missing, and have been since I was a kid. I trust you more than I've ever trusted anyone, and I find myself caring about you in a way I haven't cared since Isabel and Farlan, but there is still a darkness that weighs heavy on my heart, and it may never lift. I may never be free of it. Knowing that, do you think you could handle being in a serious relationship with me?" He paused to let Eren think.

Eventually Eren responded, "Maybe you are broken Levi, and you may never truly be complete, not on your own. I am willing to help pull you back together and put all of the pieces back where they belong, and as for the missing ones, you can let me help you fill those in, too. Let me be the missing parts of you, or at least let me try. As for that darkness, it will lift eventually when you find yourself truly happy. Maybe that won't be with me, but we could try. And I don't think it will go away all at once, but one day you might find that it is no longer there."

When Eren stopped, Levi turned this over in his head, deciding to give Eren one last warning, "I told you I've never been in a relationship before, and that's the truth. I don't know how it works, or what to do. I have many things to learn. Can you be patient with me? Can you teach me, and help me learn those things? If I do something wrong, or something that displeases you, I need you to tell me. Can you do all of that?" Eren laughed, "What's so funny about that?"

"Oh, Levi," Eren responded, "That's a huge part of any relationship, no matter who is in it. Every couple has to learn to communicate. No two relationships are the same, and you aren't the only one who will be learning as you go. I have had one relationship before, and it's no cake walk, and there are a lot of things we are going to have to learn about each other. I already know a few things to avoid with you, and you probably know a few things to avoid around me. But there's so much more to learn for both of us. So Levi, your question goes two ways. Can you be patient with me? Teach me about you? Tell me if something displeases you?"

Levi had moved during Eren's speech to balance on his elbow, his hand resting on Eren's stomach, and looking over at the brunet's face. Eventually, Levi sighed, closing his eyes only to open them again, "yes, Eren. I think I could do that."

"In that case, am I allowed to call you my boyfriend?" Eren looked down to where Levi was looking up at him.

Within moments Levi resigned himself to the realization that he was falling fast for this brat with green eyes, "Yes. But only if I can call you mine."


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm on a roll these days! Let's hope it stays that way, yeah? There's a little bit of angst in this chapter, but I didn't mean for this to be an angsty story in any way, so don't worry about it too much. It's minuscule, and the end more than makes up for the little bit of heart break. Happy reading, and don't forget to review! ~HeartQueenVivaldi**

Never Regret

Chapter 11

Eren woke up the next morning to a knock on the door. He opened his eyes slowly, still foggy with sleep, to take in his surroundings. He was in the big room with the glass ceiling in his parents house, and was laying on the black leather couch. It was light outside, but still fairly early based on the shadowy look of the light outside. As he became more aware of his surroundings, he realized there was a weight on his chest, and the sound of another person breathing. He looked down to see the top of Levi's ebony head, meaning Levi was still there, and they had obviously fallen asleep last night while they were talking. Eren couldn't tell if the other man was still sleeping or not, but decided he was probably awake, and just laying there, based on every other morning when Levi would be up and moving while Eren was still dead to the world.

Eren took a deep breath to let Levi know he was awake, and muttered a quick "morning" to the man laying on his chest. Levi tilted his head back to look at the brunet, responding with a similar greeting as they shared a quick kiss before Levi grimaced. Eren gave him a questioning look. Levi responded with what should have been obvious, "Morning breath."

It was simple, but it made Eren chuckle a little and kiss the crown of Levi's head. The moment couldn't last, though, as there was another knock on the door. "Eren, are you in there?" Carla was on the other side of the door.

Both boys sat up on the couch, and Eren scratched the back of his head as he answered his mom, "yeah, Ma, I'm here."

"Is Levi in there with you? I was looking for you two," Her voice was slightly muffled by the closed door.

"Yeah, he is," Eren stood up to go open the door. When he did, his mom was looking at him with a question clear on her face. Eren sighed and went back to the couch where Levi was sitting, watching the encounter. Eren paled a little when he looked at Levi. He was still shirtless, and the top button of his pants was undone. He looked down at himself to find himself in a similar state of undress. Eren's cheeks went red, and Levi raised an eyebrow.

Eren noticed the change in Levi's facial expression, and cleared he throat, "Levi, just stay there." The back of the couch faced the door, so Levi couldn't be seen by Carla except the back of his head. The raven looked even more confused until Eren buttoned his pants as discreetly as possible. Then his eyes widened slightly, but he didn't move.

Carla giggled in the doorway, "I figured something like this was going on between you two. It's alright, I'll leave, I just wanted to see if you two would help me make breakfast?"

Eren about died as he sat back down by Levi, who refused to look at anything but the carpet, "Yeah, Mom, but please leave, this is really awkward."

"Okay, okay. But I expect to see you both downstairs in the next ten minutes." With that she closed the door and left.

Eren groaned and put his face in his hands, "Sorry about that," Levi glanced at Eren from the corner of his eye, "she can be rather straight forward."

Levi stood up to retrieve both of their clothes from the various places they had thrown them last night, "It's alright. It's pretty embarrassing, but she's nice, so I don't mind as much as I thought I would."

Eren watched Levi move around the room, "Yeah, but she will want us downstairs in the allotted time, or she'll come looking for us."

The two quickly got dressed and went down to the second floor to change and brush their teeth before heading to the kitchen, right on time. They helped Carla make waffles, bacon, and scrambled eggs for everyone, and set the table. Mikasa and Grisha walked in a few minutes before they were ready, and sat at the table, chatting quietly. They enjoyed breakfast until Mikasa decided to talk to Eren, "Where were you this morning, Eren? I came to wake you up in your room, but you weren't there."

Eren looked up at her, still angry about the night before, and told the truth, well, sort of, "Levi and I fell asleep on the couch upstairs, watching the stars."

"There's only one couch upstairs."

Eren nodded, looking back at his food, "I know."

"So you slept together." It was a statement of fact that technically was true, and it made Eren turn bright red.

"Yeah, Mikasa. Sleep. That's it. We fell asleep and slept on the same couch. Big deal."

"What, is he your boyfriend now or something?" Mikasa sounded accusatory, and Eren didn't like the sound of it.

He glanced sideways at Levi to let the other man know his intentions, and Levi nodded once to give Eren the permission he knew the brunet was looking for. "Yeah, he is, actually."

Mikasa looked astounded and stood from her chair, "I can't believe you, Eren," she was practically screaming at him, "you know full well that he's a total asshole, that he treats you like shit, and still you fall for it? You let him trick you like that? He probably just wants to get in your pants."

Eren couldn't hear any more of it, "Mikasa, stop it! NOW!" He stood from his own chair, and they stared each other down.

Levi stood as well, speaking softly, "Hey, I'm not just trying to, as you put it, 'get in his pants'. Eren has helped me in a way no one else has ever been able to, and I want him around for more than just his body. I want him for who he is. Look, I don't want to come between you two, and you obviously don't want me here. I can leave, if that's what you want. Like I said, I won't come between the two of you." Levi turned to Carla, who was staring at the situation in shock, "I'm sorry to have become a source of tension in your home. Thank you for having me, and for the offer. I don't want to cause any more trouble, so I will take my leave. Thank you again, for your hospitality."

Eren's heart dropped into his stomach, and he felt sick. "Levi, don't…"

"No, Eren. I'm grateful you invited me, but I don't think this is going to work if you are only going to fight with your sister every time she sees me. I'll see you next week back in the dorms." Levi started to walk away, and Eren felt like crying.

He turned to Mikasa, his emotions starting to run wild as tears streaked down his cheeks, "I can't believe this."

Finally, Grisha stood and faced Mikasa, backing Eren's side of the argument, "I believe Eren is right in this case, Mikasa. Levi doesn't seem like he's a bad person. I don't know what he's been though, but based on the way he acts, I think he's been through hell."

"You have no idea." Eren spoked quietly, fat tears dripping off his chin, "You have no idea the hell he has been through. He has told me everything in the last few days, and everything makes more sense than ever before. He's been through hell more than once, and life doesn't cut him a break. I can't tell you the details, because that's his choice to make, but I won't let you continue to insult someone you don't even know. Yes, he can be an asshole, but he only does it because he's protecting himself. He doesn't let anyone close to him for fear of losing them. He's taking a big risk in letting me in, and I couldn't be more grateful for it. I really like him Mikasa, and I want him around…" Eren trailed off, the room going silent. When he spoke again, it was almost malicious. "Him walking out is not the best thing. No one wins, not even you. I swear if I can't get him to stay, and he walks out that door, I will not say one more word to you the rest of this vacation."

Eren left the table, running down the hall and bounding up the stairs to the room Levi was staying in. When he walked in he expected to see Levi almost fully packed and ready to go, but instead, he was sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, deep in thought. The brunet moved forward to sit next to him, still crying, "please don't leave…" He said it so quietly, he wasn't sure if Levi heard him.

"I don't want to leave, Eren," he sat up a little to reach up and make Eren look at him, the pads of his fingers wiping away some of the moisture, "but I don't want there to be a fight every time you two are in the same room just because I'm here."

"Then at least let me go with you."

Levi shook his head. "No. You need to spend Thanksgiving with your family."

"But you shouldn't have to spend it alone," Eren felt a sob rise in his throat, "I don't want to be here if I know you are alone somewhere. I could never enjoy myself in that situation."

"I'll be okay, Eren. It's not my first rodeo. I've had to spend many holidays alone in my lifetime. I'm used to it."

"That just makes me feel worse. Please stay, Levi. Please. I'll talk to Mikasa. There won't be any more fights. I promise. Please just stay," the brunette rested his forehead on Levi's shoulder, the tears flowing freely once again.

Levi maneuvered Eren so that they were facing each other on the bed, and he pulled the crying man closer to him, "Oh, Eren. Please, don't cry. I don't want to see you like this." He cupped Eren's cheeks, and Eren closed his eyes. Levi kissed his eyelids, then wiped tears away with his thumbs. "Look, I won't leave, but I have to have a promise from you that you won't fight over me with Mikasa anymore."

"I won't, just please, please don't leave." Levi shushed Eren and laid back, pulling Eren with him, and letting the brunet cry into his chest, soaking the front of his shirt.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen downstairs, Carla, Grisha, and Mikasa were having a very serious conversation. Carla spoke softly to Mikasa, "Honey, I don't think Levi is a bad person at all. In fact, I think he has been good for Eren."

"I agree with my wife. He's a good man. He's got a good head on his shoulders, and seems like he's got a good life ahead of him. Eren being a part of that life wouldn't be a bad thing. They seem to make each other happy," Grisha stated as if it were pure fact.

"But you didn't meet him that first day. You don't know what he said to Eren, how he treated him, and Armin, and Me. He was so rude." Mikasa seemed hurt, and Carla looked at her sympathetically.

"I understand the way you see it, Mikasa, but you heard Eren. He has a hard time letting people into his life. He was probably mean to you that day so that he wouldn't have to become friends with anyone. I think you should give him a chance, or at least more of one than you already have. Maybe you two should sit down and talk things over. He seems like he would be willing to do that if you were to ask him." Carla watched Mikasa start to resign herself to the words coming from her adopted mom, "and I think you should apologize."

Mikasa huffed, "Fine, I'll do it, but can we please talk about something else." Grisha and Carla smiled at her and moved on to some lighter conversation while they cleaned up from breakfast.

Upstairs, Eren was finally calmed down, and the two were exchanging soft kisses and affectionate touches. They slowly moved so that Eren was underneath Levi once again, but this time Levi was taking charge. His dominant personality starting to seep through the affection as he leaned over the brunet to capture his lips in a possessive, fiery kiss. Eren started to melt under Levi's dominance, and just as Levi started to run his hands up under Eren's shirt, there was a knock on the bedroom door.

Levi sighed, and Eren groaned slightly. Levi answered the knock, as Eren was too flustered to speak at that moment, "yes?"

The voice they heard on the other side belonged to Mikasa, "Can I come in?"

Levi sat up, pulling Eren up with him, and they sat back on the edge of the bed, "Yes, come in."

When the door opened she could see the both of them, but staying calm, addressed Levi, "I was wondering if I could speak with you for a moment."

Eren looked up at her suspiciously, and Levi touched him comfortingly on the shoulder, "It's alright, Eren." He stood up and followed Mikasa up to the library, leaving Eren sitting on the bed in the guest room. They were gone for almost an hour, and Eren started to worry as he wandered the second floor, straightening things in both his and Levi's rooms over and over again. He was going to go up to make sure they were alright when he heard footsteps coming back down the stairs. He stood at his doorway to see Mikasa coming down the stairs, followed closely by Levi. Neither looked upset, so he figured it couldn't have gone that bad. Mikasa looked like she was slightly in shock, but other than that, it appeared to be okay. Mikasa didn't say anything to Eren as she went into her own room and closed the door.

Eren looked back to Levi, who had approached him, and was standing about an arms-length away from the brunet. He said two words that made Eren let out a sigh of relief and grin like an idiot, "I'll stay."

The brunet pulled Levi in for a passionate kiss, and moved them into his own room, kicking the door closed behind him, barely having time to lock the door before Levi was on him again. The atmosphere was heavy with a kind of lust neither had ever felt before, and soon they were once again ripping at each other's clothes with a feverish intensity. Eren really thought they were going to get to the good stuff this time as they moved to lay on the bed, but Levi apparently had other ideas. When they were both stripped of everything but boxers, Levi stopped Eren's hands from pulling those off, too.

Eren whimpered slightly at the action and Levi chuckled, "Damn, It's getting harder to control myself. I almost let you do it. But we can't, Eren. Mikasa is in a room two doors down from us right now, and we are still in your parents' house."

"Why? I can be quiet."

Levi looked skeptical. "Even if you can, I don't want you to have to be quiet during our first time. I want to be able to hear every sound you make. Every moan, whimper, scream, and groan, I want to hear. We can't do that here, so I say again, we can't, Eren. We can experiment with other things, like making ourselves be quiet later on once we have had that first time. I also don't want us to be walked in on, which seems to be a frequent occurrence in this house."

Eren exhaled sharply, "Fine, so when do we get to take this all the way?"

Levi kissed Eren again, then lowered himself to lay on Eren's torso, his chin resting on his hands over Eren's sternum, looking up at Eren, who had propped his head up on some pillows. He thought about it for a minute before responding, "If you want to, we could take a trip to my house before going back to campus. It would mean leaving here a few days earlier, but it's an option. I have a few things I could grab while I'm there, too. We could leave Friday afternoon. It's about a three hour drive from here, and about four hours away from campus, but it wouldn't be a bad idea, if you're up for it."

"You live there alone, right?" Eren asked to make sure.

"For the most part. When Hanji's around, she likes to take up one of the basement rooms on occasion. You know, I don't think she even has a home of her own. She just likes to bounce between the homes of all of her friends. But, anyways, she won't be any kind of problem for us with her being half way around the world from us."

Eren grinned down at Levi and pulled him back up far enough to kiss him, "Then let's do it. We can use the excuse that you have things to get from your house before school starts up again. It's valid enough, and the house is far away enough that it's a good excuse to not have to come back."

Levi let the corners of his mouth tweak upwards just a little, "It's a plan then. We will plan on leaving here on Friday afternoon no later than 5 or 6, so that we can be there by 8 or 9. Sound good?"

Eren nodded, and they made out for a little while longer until Eren came up with an idea. "Hey, Levi."

"Hm?" Levi still had his lips attached to Eren's neck and jaw.

"We should go on a date today."

Levi pushed himself up to hover over Eren, "What?"

"We could make it a lunch date. I could show you around town a little and you can see where I grew up. Then tonight we could go out after dinner to one of the local bars and enjoy a night of light drinking and I think it would be good for us. We would get out of the house for a while, and we can get to know a different side of one another. I haven't really ever seen you outside of the dorm or this house except for that one morning at IHOP. And that doesn't really count."

"What, you think you are going to get to see a different side of me? That I'm going to show my true colors or some shit like that?" Levi looked skeptical.

"Something like that." Eren looked so sincere that Levi just sighed and decided he would go along with it.

"Alright, Brat. I'll let you take me out today, but only if I get to pay."

Eren looked a little lost for words for a moment, "N-No way! I invited you, so I get to pay!"

"Then I won't go."

"Are you serious?" Eren gaped at his new boyfriend.

"Yep." They stared each other down for a little while, until Levi spoke up again, "But I'll let you drive."

Eren's eyes lit up instantaneously and Levi wondered if he had made the right choice in telling Eren he could drive his mint-condition, new Audi. Before he could take it back, Eren was talking, "It's a deal. This is gonna be so fun! I can show you the park where everyone hangs out, and then we can go to…" Eren started rambling on about the things he was going to show Levi, and the raven was content to lay his head back on his boyfriends chest and listen to him talk animatedly, not really paying close attention, but just letting the words flow through him. He hadn't been this comfortable around someone in so long, and he could admit it felt nice to be taken care of by someone else just a little. He relaxed into the feeling until Eren looked at the clock and announced that they would have to get going if they wanted to get lunch.

So Levi got off his boyfriend with one last peck on the lips, and retreated to his own room after re-dressing so he could make himself presentable for the public eye. This was going to be a perfect Sunday afternoon date, at least that's how Eren saw it.

Twenty minutes later they made their way downstairs, and found Carla baking something in the kitchen, humming a tune, and Grisha was nowhere to be found. Carla heard them enter and turned around, "hey boys, I'm about to start lunch. Would you like to help?"

Eren came around the island so that Carla could see his full attire, which was clearly meant for leaving the warm house to brave the cold November air. "No thanks, Ma. We are headed out for the afternoon. We will be back for dinner, though. But we might be going back out after that, too."

"Oh," Carla looked rather pleased at this information, "So I take it Levi isn't leaving. I'm glad to hear it. I was really worried that you would. So is this a date, then?"

"Mom.." Eren whined, dragging out the 'o'.

"Hey, I'm just curious."

Levi shook his head, "Yes, Carla. It's a date. Our first to be exact."

Carla practically squealed, "Oh, well you two have fun, and be safe! I'll see you both at dinner." She turned back around to add chocolate chips to what looked like cookie batter.

"Okay, bye Mom." The two males turned to walk back to the front door. They walked down the front steps towards Levi's car, and Eren took note that his dad's care wasn't in the driveway, so he was probably at work, and that's why they didn't see him.

Eren was brought back to the present when Levi held out his keys for Eren. He took them excitedly, and went around to the passenger side door. Levi looked at him weirdly, "wrong side, Brat. Driver's side is this way," He pointed to the driver's side door.

"I know that. I was going to open your door for you," To emphasize his point, he opened the door and gestured with his free hand to the seat inside. Levi rolled his eyes, but got into the seat anyways. When Eren closed the door he went around to his own door and hopped in, remembering that to start the car he only had to push a button. He giggled a little when the engine purred to life, and Levi almost smiled at Eren's excitement. It was pretty cute.

Eren put the car in reverse, and pulled out of the driveway, and they sped off to start their first date. Eren would point stuff out as they drove: The schools he went to, the park he would play in as a kid, Armin's grandpa's house, the public pool he would spend his summers at, and anything else that came to him. Eventually he pulled into a parking lot in front of a little restaurant that looked more like a café. "This," Eren began as he put the car in park and killed the engine, "is the restaurant I worked at all through high school, and my favorite place to eat in town. It's owned by this crazy old man named Pixis. I think that's actually his last name, and I've only ever heard his first name once. I think it's Dot or something like that. He might be crazy, but he's a genius when it comes to food." Eren got out, Levi following only seconds later. Levi surveyed the restaurant as they approached. It was clean enough, and outside had a rather cozy looking patio with wooden tables and chairs. There were heat lamps on, and a couple of people were sitting at the tables near them nursing cups of coffee, and what looked like massive cinnamon rolls.

When they went inside they were met with warmth and a relaxed atmosphere. The colors inside consisted of green, red, and white. The theme seemed to be roses, as there were roses everywhere, but Levi found he rather liked the contrasting color scheme with the soft looking couches everywhere conveying comfort, yet the roses screamed romantic. It was an interesting mix that made Levi want to stay there forever. He could get used to a place like this. There was a waitress standing close by and she told them to sit anywhere they liked.

Eren chose a seat for them on one of the plush couches to their left by the big windows. It was in the corner so they would have some privacy, which Levi appreciated. A waitress approached that Eren didn't recognize, and she gave Levi a good look over, and Eren was immediately feeling possessive. "What can I get you boys to drink today?" she only looked at Levi while she spoke, making Eren's blood boil. Levi was his.

Levi merely glanced up at her, before looking back at Eren, "What do you have for teas?"

"We have a lot of great teas, sir. Are you feeling black, white, green, or herbal?" She continued to speak only to Levi.

"White or black."

"In the white category we have a delicious white rose tea, or a citrus tea. In the black we pretty much have all of your classics, including Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Darjeeling, and Assam."

Levi didn't even look away from Eren as he answered, "Earl Grey will be fine."

"Earl Grey it is. And for you?" She glanced toward Eren for a second then let her eyes wander back to Levi.

"Pumpkin Latte." Eren quipped, then snapped, "We'll need a few minutes to look over the menu."

The waitress glared at Eren slightly before walking away to get their drinks. Levi raised an eyebrow, "What was that about?"

"She was looking at you like you were a piece of meat or something. I didn't like it. Doesn't she know you're mine now?"

Levi chuckled through his nose, then leaned forward to kiss the corner of Eren's downturned mouth, "She probably doesn't know that. It doesn't matter though, I didn't even notice. I'm not going anywhere." He pecked Eren on the lips and sat back just as the waitress came back with their drinks.

"You ready to order?"

Levi looked at Eren, "You are the one who worked here, I'll take your word for it and have whatever you have. Get whatever you want. Price is no problem."

Eren thought for a second, then his eyes lit up, "Two turkey and artichoke sandwiches on wheat bread, and two half size strawberry salads to go with them." The waitress turned on her heal and left without another word.

The two boys talked small talk until their food came, and they started eating. Levi enjoyed every bite of both his sandwich and salad, "I think we need to steal his bread recipe."

Eren laughed, "Too bad, he won't give it to anyone."

Just at that moment, they heard a voice behind them, "damn straight, Jaeger."

Eren looked up to see Pixis himself standing behind him, "Pixis. How are you, boss?"

"I'm still kickin', and don't you ever think otherwise."

Eren laughed, "I wouldn't dream of it, old man."

"Good," He smiled, the skin around his eyes crinkling as he did, "Now who is this handsome young fellow you've got here."

"This is Levi," Eren introduced, "my boyfriend."

"Very nice to meet you, Levi." Levi nodded in answer, "Well, I hope you've enjoyed your meals and coffees. I got a couple customers to speak with, so I'll leave you be."

"Alright, it was good to see you, Old Man."

The old man wandered away, and Eren smiled, reminiscing about the days he worked here, and the two would banter non-stop.

The waitress returned a while later with the bill, "Pixis said to give you the friends and family discount, so there you are." She placed the black book on the table. Their meals cost them only seven dollars, and Eren chuckled, content to let Levi pay for this one, since it was so cheap.

Levi placed a ten dollar bill in the book, and they stood up to leave. When they got back in the car, Eren drove them around a little while longer before stopping at a huge park where they walked around for a while, talking about little things until they were nearly frozen from the chilly November air. They decided to make their way back to the house, and Levi was grateful he had let Eren drag him on this little date. It had been very pleasant, and he learned a lot more about the brunet in the short time. Eren had a simple life. A life most people would expect a teenager to have. He had a good family, lots of friends, a good boss in high school, and Levi felt a little jealous, but it didn't last. After all, he got to share that life with Eren now. He couldn't possibly be more grateful for that.


	12. Chapter 12

**Here's chapter twelve for you guys. Get ready to meet the extended family! and Thanksgiving pt 1 is in this chapter. Happy Reading! Don't forget to Review! ~HeartQueenVivaldi**

Never Regret

Chapter 12

Monday morning Eren woke up next to Levi in his bed in the guest room. Levi had his arms around Eren from behind, and Eren could tell he was awake because he continued to change the strength of his grip around Eren's waist. Eren smiled, remembering the night before with a sort of fuzzy clarity.

They had gone to the most popular bar in town that bordered on being a club. There was a small dance floor, and played the most popular music. Levi and Eren had a couple drinks and soon Eren was dragging Levi out to dance. Surprisingly enough, Levi didn't protest, and thanks to his music background, was a really good dancer. They danced and had a few drinks. They made out in a corner, and eventually Levi decided it would be wise to get them back to Eren's parent's house before they did something really crazy.

When they returned, they were both tipsy enough that common sense was not much of a factor, especially for Eren. It was late, and the house was silent and dark. They stumbled upstairs to burst into Eren's room, both stripping as they went. Luckily none of their clothes were left outside, and all ended up in Eren's room. Levi came to his senses long enough to realize they were both drunk and should not be having sex in that state, and that they were both disgusting.

Levi had, instead of letting Eren have his way, pushed him into the bathroom connecting their rooms and into the tub. Eren, of course, pulled him in too, and they made out in the tub until Levi insisted they wash when the water started to get cold. He took really good care of Eren, and the brunet couldn't help but smile at the memory.

As Eren returned to the present he took stock of his situation. Levi was behind him with his arms around his waist, and Eren could feel his morning wood pressing into the back of his thighs. They were both still naked from the night before. Eren giggled, turning in Levi's arms to give him a peck on the lips.

"What are you laughing at, Brat?" Levi clearly had a pet peeve about morning breath because he wouldn't let Eren kiss him again. One was all he would get in the mornings apparently.

"You were just so sweet last night while I was drunk."

"You were pretty drunk. How are you feeling this morning?"

"My head hurts a little, but I'm okay." Eren smiled again, cuddling up closer to Levi, "I've had worse. I'm surprised you aren't hung over, too."

"I didn't have as much to drink as you did," Levi stroked Eren's hair.

"Yes you did. Don't even pretend you didn't."

"I'm not pretending. I had about half as much as you did. Had I drank as much as you, you would have woken up with a sore back and ass this morning. I would have let you have your way."

Eren blushed at the thought of them in the bath last night, and how wanton he had probably sounded as he begged Levi to just do it already. But, no. Levi had more self-control than any human should ever have.

Eren was about to protest when a solid knock sounded on the door. Grisha's voice came through, "Hey boys, Carla has breakfast ready. Get dressed and come eat."

Eren blushed a furious shade of red that his dad somehow knew that he was both in Levi's room, and that neither of them were dressed, "Okay dad!" Eren yelled back, and his dad's footsteps retreated down the stairs. "How the hell did he know that?" the brunet looked up at Levi, who was just as confused.

"I don't know, but we should make this quick so as not to arouse more suspicion."

"Agreed." Eren flew out of the bed, running his naked butt through the bathroom and into his own room to throw some sweatpants on.

When he emerged from his room, Levi was there waiting for him, and they went down to breakfast. Carla was just putting eggs on everyone's plates as they sat down. In both Levi and Eren's spots were glasses of water and two Advil each. Eren looked up to his mom in question, and she responded to his look, "I figured you two would be hung over pretty good after last night. I know for sure Eren was drunk because he had zero ability to whisper. You woke us all up."

Eren blushed, thanking his mom and taking the Advil. Levi gave her the pills back, "I didn't drink enough for that. I don't need them, but thank you for the thought."

Carla smiled, "at least one of you has some self-control around the alcohol."

Mikasa snickered into her hand, suppressing a laugh. Eren glared back at her. For the first time since getting there for the holiday, the meal went smoothly with no arguments. When everyone finished Carla spoke directly to Eren and Levi, "Boys, I have some information for you. Grandma and Grandpa Jaeger are going to be here for Thanksgiving this year. Eren, you know what that means, right?"

"Yeah. They need Levi's guest room or my bedroom."

"Correct. But as usual, my mom will be here as well. Can you guess where I'm going with this?"

Eren nodded, understanding, "Yeah, she will need the other one. So where are you putting me and Levi?"

"I hope it's okay for me to assume this, and let me know if it's not, but I was wondering if you two would be willing to share the bed in the room downstairs until Friday? Now, they won't be here until tomorrow, so you can stay where you are for now, but tomorrow we need to have you two out of those rooms. I'm sorry to do that to you two, but you know your grandparents. I know that doesn't make me a very good host, Levi. I should have foreseen this. Can you forgive me for making you switch rooms?"

Levi nodded, "Of course. It's not a big deal. I am simply a guest. I'll do as you tell me to. And I'm okay sharing a bed with Eren, if he's okay with it that is."

Eren nodded, too, "yeah, that would be okay." Then Eren remembered something important, "Oh, yeah. Levi and I are leaving on Friday as well."

"Why is that?" Grisha asked.

Levi replied to the question, "there are a few things I left at my house that I need for a project for the end of term. The drive is quite long, so I can't really make it a day trip. We thought we would just make a weekend out of it."

"I supposed that makes sense," Grisha nodded in understanding, "What things do you need?"

"My guitar is the main thing, and I couldn't believe I forgot it back at the beginning of the semester. I've made due without it, but I have found in the last week that I'm actually going to need it. I could buy another, but mine is perfectly fine, so there's no point in that. A few other things that are much more trivial, that if I hadn't needed the guitar I would have just bought more or done without."

"Alright," Carla nodded, "we will be sad to see you go so early, but you do what you have to do."

"Thank you."

The rest of the day went smoothly. Levi played the piano for Eren and his family, and everyone enjoyed the time of quiet, watching Levi's hands dance across the keys. They made treats, watched a movie, helped Carla with meals, and spent the day doing whatever they wished.

Eren slept in Levi's bed again that night, and decided he quite liked the idea of sleeping with the raven-haired man. It was warm and comfortable, and he found himself never wanting to leave Levi's arms in the morning.

But alas, they had to arise and start the day. They started with breakfast again, and then moved to pack up again and move themselves down to the basement room. There was only one guest room in the basement, and it was rarely ever used, but Carla had said she cleaned it the day before, so it was ready for them. As they walked down the stairs, Eren came up with a question for Levi, "I meant to ask you what you and Mikasa talked about the other day when you were in the library?"

He made it a question at the end, and Levi sighed as Eren opened the door to the guest room, which was actually quite spacious for being in the basement, "She apologized for not giving me a chance, and told me she would try to understand me. She also told me that if I ever hurt you she would murder me, which I accept. I also decided to tell her about us being blood-related cousins. She was shocked to say the least. She almost immediately knew who I was at that point, calling my one of Kenny's boys. I was surprised she remembered that much, as she was so young at the time. She didn't know all the details but she knew that much. I gave her the information she needed to know, and that was it."

"That's it?" Eren asked.

"Pretty much." Levi put his bag on the chair in the corner, as both of them had decided not to completely unpack and more or less just live out of their duffle bags. They took out their toiletries, and left the rest.

"I expected to have to save one of you from being murdered."

"Whys that?"

"Because you are both Ackerman's and stubborn as hell," Eren stated as if he were telling Levi the sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

For the first time ever, Eren heard Levi truly laugh. He had a genuine smile on his face, and Eren practically melted at the sight, "I guess that's true, isn't it," Levi said when he stopped laughing. The laugh hadn't lasted long, but it was enough to make him grin. Levi's smile was truly beautiful, and contagious. He knew he wouldn't see it often, and that he was probably the only person who would get to see this side of the raven.

"Hanji would be jealous if she knew I saw you laugh."

Levi nodded, "she probably would be, actually. I used to smile a lot more when Isabel and Farlan were alive. Still not all the time, but it was more common. When they died I just couldn't bring myself to be happy for a very long time," Levi sat in the chair after moving his bag to the floor beside it, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped together, "I think that's the first time I've really laughed out loud like that in over three years. She's been trying to get me to smile for that long, and it's never happened. I never had a reason to until now. You make me happy again, Eren."

Eren knelt down in front of Levi and took his hands in his own, "I'm glad I got to see it. You have a beautiful smile," he leaned forward and gave Levi a sweet, innocent kiss. He smiled at Levi when he pulled back, and the corners of Levi's mouth were upturned just a little.

They heard the front door open and footsteps upstairs above them, "My grandparents are probably here. Would you like to meet them?"

"I'll have to eventually, won't I?" Eren nodded, "Then let's get it over with now."

The two stood and made their way back upstairs. Before they turned the corner into the front entry, Eren turned back to Levi, "My grandma and grandpa Jaeger are completely crazy. You'll see what I mean when you meet them. They are very old. My grandma Schmidt is the coolest grandma you'll ever meet. But just go with it, whatever happens. There's a reason my mom is the way she is."

Levi just nodded, looking a little nervous. They stepped around the corner, and Eren was mauled by a brown fuzz ball. Levi watched him get tackled, and Eren laughed as the giant poodle-looking dog licked his face. "Bear, come here." The dog removed himself from Eren and the brunet sat up. Levi took his hand and helped him to his feet.

"Are you alright?" Levi asked, concerned.

"Yeah. It's just Bear. Sweetest fluff ball on the planet," Eren explained as he dusted himself off, "He's a goldendoodle, and I love that dog to death."

Levi nodded, staying quiet, his face blank. "Eren!" they heard a voice near the front door, and both boys turned to look. There was a lady with brownish red hair that was obviously dyed that color, as it was starting to grow out a little and the gray was showing, rather plump, but not overly so, and was smiling a blinding smile that matched Carla's. Levi thought this must be Grandma Schmidt, as she gave Eren a crushing hug, and handed him her over-size purse that probably weighed fifty pounds. "And who is that good looking young man?" She looked over at Levi.

Eren answered, carrying her purse over to the base of the stairs to put it down, "That's Levi. He's my roommate at college, and also now my boyfriend."

She went over to him, "well, it's nice to meet you. You got a good one, Eren."

"It's nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Schmidt." Levi responded politely.

"My name is Ella, but you can just call me Grandma, okay?" Levi nodded, and the older woman moved on as Carla came in with a small duffle bag. "Now where's my granddaughter?"

Mikasa came down the stairs in just that moment, "Hi Grandma." She gave the woman a hug, and they all moved on to the living room while Eren carried the bags up to the guest room that was formerly Levi's.

They settled down to talk in the living room with the dog laying in the middle of the floor when the doorbell rang again not five minutes later, and Grisha, who had the day off from work, went to get the door. Eren took Levi with him to meet the crazies, as he called them.

The lady, Grandma Jaeger, had a thick German accent and looked to be very harsh. She didn't smile a lot like the other Grandma. She was skinny with gray hair pulled back into a tight, harsh bun. The man was a little kinder looking, and also had a thick accent. He had a major beer belly going on, and his hair was combed over. The two were speaking mostly German, and Levi couldn't understand them. After all, he only spoke French, and even that was a little rusty. Eren, though, seemed to understand every word, and even answered them in fluent German.

These two were, in fact, crazy. They seemed to be arguing over the smallest of things, and the lady scolded Eren who looked like a kicked puppy. He heard his name when Eren pointed to him, and he assumed he had just been introduced. The woman only seemed to be more put-off at the information, and Levi looked totally lost to everything that was going on.

Grisha stepped in to calm his mother down, and showed them up the stairs and to Eren's room that would now be theirs. Eren came over to Levi shaking his head. Levi cocked an eyebrow, "What the hell was that all about?"

"They are very traditional, and they aren't very happy I'm gay. They never really have been. They are super strict, and said they didn't want to see any kind of affection between us while they were here. Just wait until they find out we are sleeping in the same bed for the next three nights." Eren scratched the back of his head, and the two boys made their way back to the living room with the cool grandma, "I told you they were crazy."

"Do they speak English?"

"A little, but not well enough to have any kind of conversation, so you at least won't have to worry about that."

"I didn't know you spoke German."

"Yeah, I grew up speaking both languages. My dad speaks both languages fluently because he grew up in Germany, but my mom only speaks a little German. Grandma does, though. She was born in Germany."

"Then I guess your last name makes sense."

Eren laughed, "For sure."

They had a rather busy evening. They had to lengthen the table to fit everyone, and a lot of German was spoken. Mikasa and Carla seemed a little lost at times, right along side Levi, who didn't understand much at all. He caught a few words that matched the English word, but even then he still couldn't grasp much of what they said. The Jaegers scolded Eren once for wiping Levi's cheek with a napkin when one of them flung sauce across the table. Grandma Schmidt stepped in at that point, defending Eren, or that's what Levi gathered anyways. They drank beer for the dinner, and a lot of it. They were rather messy eaters, too. Eren was right, they are completely crazy.

At the end of the meal, Carla excused Levi and Eren from the table and from doing dishes so that they could get away from the senior Jaegers who just couldn't let up on them for being in a relationship. Eren looked like he was ready to explode, so Levi decided this was probably for the best. They retreated to the basement to play a game of pool, and Eren looked grateful for the opportunity. Mikasa joined them only fifteen minutes later.

"Can I join you?" she asked politely.

"Trying to get away from the crazies?" Eren responded.

"Definitely." Mikasa nodded.

"Then by all means, grab a cue. Let's play." The three got along famously now, as Eren found out. Levi and Mikasa were both highly competitive, just like him, and it made for a fun few rounds of pool. Grandma Schmidt came down to join them eventually, also trying to escape the Jaegers, laughing at their antics and competitiveness, but not having any desire to join in the game.

They played until Carla called down the stairs for dessert, and the four of them made their way back up to the kitchen, Levi and Eren avoiding being in range of the senior Jaegers. Grisha sent them an apologetic look, and Eren just shrugged.

Bedtime was an even bigger affair than dinner, as Grandma Jaeger insisted on knowing where Levi and Eren would be sleeping. When Grisha told them, the truth of course, they wouldn't go to bed until they knew that the two would be separated for the night.

Finally, Eren gave in and told them he would sleep on the couch in the living room. They seemed satisfied with that, and went upstairs to Eren's room. Carla turned to them at that point and told them they didn't have to do it. Eren looked relieved at the newfound permission to sleep next to Levi.

Grandma Schmidt just shook her head in the corner with every new drama the Jaegers came up with, and sent the boys looks behind their backs. She seemed just as annoyed as they were.

Eren couldn't have been more happy to get downstairs and into the spare bedroom with the door locked. He kicked his shoes off and collapsed on the bed face down with a groan.

Levi chuckled, and crawled onto the bed beside him, "You weren't kidding when you said they were crazy."

"Right?" Eren sighed into the pillow, "they drive me nuts. It's a good thing they live in Germany, and I don't have to see them more than once or twice a year or I would totally lose my shit. And why did they have to come during Thanksgiving? They don't even celebrate it. They don't understand it either. When we try to explain Thanksgiving to them, they just get more confused."

"They are nuts for sure. We should change and get some rest. I have a feeling these next two days are going to be insane."

Levi was right about that, more so than even he realized. Grandma Schmidt was totally the coolest grandma to ever walk the earth. Eren was right about that, too. She spoiled them rotten, going out to buy them things they didn't ask for, but she somehow knew they wanted it, and doting on them enough for three normal grandparents. It was okay, though, because she balanced out the weirdness of the Jaeger grandparents.

Ilse, as Levi found out she wanted to be called instead of 'Grandma', even by her own grandkids, slapped Eren on the wrist for taking seconds without permission, even though it wasn't required. She made Mikasa pull her hair back into no less than a ponytail. Carla's ponytail was now up at the base of her skull, meaning she couldn't wear it loose anymore with Ilse around. She hovered over the kitchen when Carla was cooking, not helping, and giving advice that Carla obviously didn't need, as she was a great cook.

Hans Jaeger, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of his wife, yet exactly the same. He would sit in a chair at the table in the middle of everything and silently watch everyone move about the house. He wouldn't say anything until someone did something wrong in his eyes, then he would rise quickly from his chair, approach that person, say something very calmly in German, and walk away, leaving that person very pale.

Levi had yet to have one of those encounters, and didn't want one, so he stayed away from the main area, except to go up or down the stairs leading to the basement, and wouldn't linger for long. He spent a lot of time in the sitting room in the front of the house playing the piano while Eren sat on one of the couches drawing or doing homework. This gave Levi a good chance to work on his arrangement while staying away from the crazies, and still spend time with Eren.

Grandma Schmidt sat in the room for quite a while, listening to Levi play, and watching Eren draw until Carla came to ask her for help making lunch, then dinner later that night. They also started cooking for tomorrow night's feast. From what Levi could gather, it was going to be spectacular.

That night, before bed, Eren was going to just sneak down the stairs before Ilse could say anything and hope she didn't notice. He snuck away about five minutes before the end of their movie to do so, giving Levi a signal so that he would know what he was doing. Levi nodded, and Eren padded away silently. Just as he stepped down to the first step, Ilse called out to him, telling him he better not be planning to sleep down on the bed with Levi.

Eren groaned, coming back to sit in his spot again to finish the movie. Grandma Schmidt patted him sympathetically on the shoulder, and Eren sort of felt like crying. He wouldn't let them get to him though, so he shook it off.

Once again, Ilse and Hans wouldn't go to bed until Carla and Grisha assured them that Levi and Eren were to be separated, and this time, they weren't satisfied until Eren had made his bed on the couch, and was laying in it, and Levi was downstairs. Then they made everyone separate before they followed Carla, Grisha, and Mikasa up the stairs. Carla texted Eren a few minutes later to let him know that the Jaegers were settled down and he could join Levi in the basement if he wanted to.

Eren didn't hesitate to take the offer, leaving his make-shift bed where it was, hoping that seeing it in the morning would convince them he had stayed there all night. When he got to the guest room he found Levi sitting on the bed scrolling through his phone. Eren plugged his into the wall silently and crawled to lay his head on Levi's lap. Levi didn't say anything and simply ran his fingers through Eren's hair until the brunet fell asleep.

When he woke up, Eren was under the covers, and was in Levi's arms again. He had no motivation to get up this time, so he turned in Levi's arms and buried his face in the older man's chest. Levi was already awake, and Eren knew it, so he mumbled into Levi's chest, "I'm so sick of them. Can we leave early?"

Levi started running his fingers through Eren's hair again, "If you want to leave tonight after dinner we can. I'm sure your parents will understand."

Eren groaned, "I don't know. I want to spend time with my family, just not _them_ , you know?"

"I know," Levi knew exactly what Eren was feeling. He was becoming fond of the Jaeger family minus the two harsh grandparents. Grandma Schmidt was amazing, Mikasa felt like real family now since clearing up their misunderstanding, Carla and Grisha treated him like their own son, which he appreciated immensely, "whatever you decide, I'll go along with."

"Let me think about it for a few hours, and I'll let you know," Eren tilted his head up to kiss his boyfriend, who had been nothing but supportive and kind, completely the opposite of what he thought he knew Levi was. There really was a whole other side to this man, depending who he was around, and how he felt about that person. He noticed the raven acted towards the Jaegers how he used to act toward Eren; he was rude, short tempered, and snappy, even if they didn't understand English. But at the same time, when Grandma, Mikasa, or Eren's parents were around he was kind, polite, and even let himself smile just a little. It was plainly obvious there were two sides to this man, and Eren was just glad he was now on his good side, remembering what it was like to be on the other end.

After laying around for a few more minutes, Eren decided it would be best for them to head upstairs and see if Carla needed any help. She was bound to be busy preparing a feast for 8 people that night, and probably making breakfast, too.

The two dressed and made their way up the stairs. When they got there, Ilse was sitting at the dining table with a harsh glare focused on the two college students. Eren's immediate though was, ' _She knows'_. He paled considerably.

She stood from her chair and approached Eren. When she got there, she slapped him across the cheek. Hard. Levi gaped at it, seeing tears well up in the brunet's beautiful teal eyes. The raven's face contorted in anger. The woman raised her hand again, and Levi reacted. He grasped the old woman's wrist before she could do it again, hard enough to get his point across, but not hard enough for it to hurt. She said something to him in German, but he didn't care what it was, it was probably derogatory anyways. In as simple language as he could, he responded, "Do not touch him again."

She understood apparently, because she replied in broken English, "why you care?"

"Because I care about him." Levi let go of her wrist, and she took a step back.

"Gays don't care, only want sex."

"That's not true," Levi was fuming. How could she possibly think that was true? "We feel love, the same as you."

"You love Eren?" She glared heatedly at the raven, and he returned it just as heated.

He looked back at Eren, who had tears streaming down his face and was looking at him expectantly, waiting for his answer. Levi's face softened at the realization, "Yes. I do. I have loved him for a long time. I was just too stubborn to accept it until now."

The German woman spoke quickly to Eren, and Eren replied quietly as if translating. The woman touched Levi on the shoulder, and he turned back to face her. In very broken English, she spoke directly to him, still glaring, but this time for a different reason. "You lie, I kill you. Eren is my enkel. I love him, too. You hurt him, I hurt you."

Levi got the point, and the woman walked away. She turned back to speak quickly in German to Eren. Eren wiped his eyes as she turned the corner and he pulled Levi into an embrace. "I love you, too."

Levi pulled Eren down for a quick kiss, "What did she say just now?"

"She said she would leave us alone, she just doesn't want to see our affection directly. She told me to keep it to ourselves and she would ignore it," Eren kissed Levi again, then pulled away as Carla came into the kitchen, "I guess she isn't so bad. Sort of. We can stay until tomorrow."

Levi nodded, then turned to Carla, who was pulling out things to start cooking. They could see the turkey on the counter, and Levi decided to help, "Carla, what can we do to help you prepare?"

"Oh, Levi. Do you know how to make stuffing for the turkey?" she asked, pointing to bags of dried bread cubes on the counter.

"I do. I'm assuming you want me to do that?"

She nodded, "And Eren, why don't you start on the yams I taught you how to make a few years ago."

Eren nodded, walking toward the kitchen behind Levi, "okay."

The three of them moved through the kitchen at a good pace, and Levi made everyone a quick breakfast of eggs and bacon. They skipped lunch in favor of an early dinner. With Levi and Eren's help, they were going to have everything ready by 3 or 4 that afternoon. Mikasa and Grisha were in charge of setting and decorating the table, and they would be on clean up duty afterward.

Eventually, Grandma Schmidt joined the other three in the kitchen to start on pies. She made apple, pumpkin, banana crème, Lemon merengue, and cherry. They smelled delicious as they were put into one of three ovens one by one, and made everyone's mouths water. One of the ovens was taken by the turkey the whole day, so they rotated the other two. They spent the whole day cooking, picking at the food, chatting, and laughing. All of the cooks loved to cook, so enjoyed every minute of it.

They made the pies, turkey, yams, mashed potatoes, Jell-O, and rolls. They prepared vegetables, and cranberries. By the time they were done, there was enough food to feed an army. They would most definitely have leftovers.

The cooks left the food for a few minutes to go change, and tell everyone they were ready to eat. Eren ran down the stairs a few minutes after Levi, and walked into the spare room to see Levi look up at him in question, "What?"

"What am I supposed to wear?"

Eren laughed, "You know my family, whatever you wear is fine as long as it isn't covered in flour, like that is," the brunet pointed at Levi's current shirt and jeans.

Levi rolled his eyes, "Do I have time to shower?"

"Yes, but make it quick. Everyone's hungry and won't wait forever."

Ten minutes later they were back upstairs and seated around the table. Grisha and Mikasa had moved all of the food from the kitchen to the table, and everything looked amazing. Grisha sat in his place at the head of the table, and Carla sat to his right. Eren was to his left with Levi next to him, and Grandma Schmidt next to him. Mikasa was next to Carla, Ilse next to her, and Hans at the other end across from Grisha. Once everyone was seated they started eating. They ate until they could barely move they were so full.

It was a peaceful dinner with light conversation and laughter. Everyone seemed content, and none of them could have asked for anything better than that on Thanksgiving.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! So, school has started, and it will be a lot harder to get chapters out now. I'll do my best, but no guarantees. Also, I want everyone to know that the rating on this is now up to an "M". There's still nothing explicit or descriptive, but I figured there is now enough mention of adult themes that it deserves a higher content rating. So, be warned that in this chapter Levi and Eren will have a pretty lengthy discussion about *cough*stuff*cough*. Anyways, Happy reading! Look for the author's note at the end of the chapter. Don't forget to review!**

Never Regret

Chapter 13

When Everyone finished eating, and they were sitting around the table feeling way too full, and keeping up light, easy conversation, Carla interrupted the peace they had for a far more cliché option, "Alright, I know this sounds cheesy, but I want to go around the table and have everyone say something they are grateful for. It only has to be one thing, and take this seriously, please," she looked pointedly at Eren. Grisha translated for his parents right after. "Why don't you start, Mom."

Grandma Schmidt pointed to herself, and Carla nodded. "Alright, I guess I have many things to be grateful for, but right now the number one thing is my family that continues to grow. My daughter, my grandson, and my granddaughter. Levi, I count you as my family, too. I think we all do."

They all looked to Hans for his answer. He said something in German that Levi, of course, didn't understand. Eren translated for him that he was grateful to have time to spend with his son.

Ilse was translated for as well, and she said she was grateful for her continued health in her old age.

Mikasa was next, "I know this is going to sound crazy, because we didn't get along two days ago, but I'm grateful for Levi. He's been good for Eren, and I can see how happy he makes him. I also know he has done something, I'm not sure what, to calm Eren down over the last two days that our grandparents have been here. Because, let's be honest, he would have exploded a long time ago," Carla, Grisha, Eren, and Grandma Schmidt all chuckled at that, "So Levi, thanks for being good for Eren. And I'm sorry I misjudged you. You're the only blood family I have left, so I wont push you away anymore. Thanks for giving me a chance even though I didn't give you one."

Levi nodded, and Eren smiled at her. Everyone else that spoke English was gaping at her. Carla was supposed to be next, but instead she asked Mikasa a question, "blood family?"

"Yeah. Levi's my cousin." She didn't explain further, just left the information hanging.

"How do you know that?" Grisha addressed Levi.

"I recognized her from the picture hanging by the front door. I asked Eren if she was adopted and when, and I deduced it from there. When I knew her story without Eren telling me anything about it, it became obvious. She's the daughter of my mother's brother."

"So why didn't she end up with someone else in your family? How did she end up in the system?" Grisha asked.

"My mother died before I was even a year old, and my uncle took in both my brother and I. He refused to take in another of his sibling's children." Levi explained as simply as possible. The English speakers in the room nodded in understanding.

"Well, I guess it's my turn," Carla changed the subject. "I am so grateful to have my family here. I know we have all said that at this point, but it's true. I love everyone here so much, even when we don't always get along." She turned to her left, "Grisha, your turn."

Grisha smiled warmly around at everyone around the table, "I will probably just echo my wife on this one. I'm grateful to have my parents here. We don't get to see them often, and I'm always happy when they are around. They can be harsh, but it's only because they love their family. Levi, I want to echo Mikasa when I say I'm grateful for you, too. She's right. Eren is different somehow with you around, and it's not a bad thing."

Levi nodded, and Eren could see a slight blush creep up on his cheeks. He chuckled, reaching under the table to grab Levi's hand. He squeezed, and Levi returned the gesture. "My turn?" Carla nodded. "I'm grateful for a lot of things this year. I'm grateful to be able to go to school and get an education, and to be here with my family for the holidays. I'm grateful to have a sister that understands me and wants the best for me, even if she doesn't always approach it the right way. I'm grateful to Levi for being understanding and level headed even when I'm not and I only want to punch a hole in the wall." Everyone around the table chuckled, and Eren could even hear a chuckle from Levi. Eren eyed the Jaegers for a second, and they both turned their heads long enough to peck Levi on the cheek. Carla giggled into her hand at the sight, and Grisha smiled as if he were proud. "Your turn Levi."

"Oh, I don't know…"

Carla interrupted what Levi was saying, "I know you think you don't have a right to speak up at this table, but you have now heard from multiple people that we consider you part of the family for as long as you are by Eren's side. You have just as much say as the rest of us. So go on."

Levi smiled gratefully, "I don't really know what to say. There's more than I can even express."

"Why don't you just give us three or four that you think are important?" Grisha suggested.

Levi nodded again, "In that case, I'll start with the reason I'm here at all. I'm grateful to be here and that you have allowed me into your home on such a big holiday, and for treating me as if I'm part of the family. I haven't felt like part of a family in a very long time, and it's a pretty amazing feeling. The next thing I'm sure most of you won't understand, but I'm grateful to be alive. The last five or six years have been the hardest years of my life, and I'm just grateful I've survived through it all. I'm grateful to have found Eren, who has accepted me into his life, despite all of my faults, which are many."

"You are the only one who sees them as faults, Levi," Eren interrupts. "I see them as your strengths."

"I appreciate that. And that's why I have fallen in love with you, as crazy as that is for me to admit, not only to you, but to myself as well." Eren smiles at the recent development of _I love you's_. "Lastly, I'm so very grateful to the friends who have stuck with me through everything. They aren't here to hear it, but I appreciate them more than they could ever possibly comprehend. Especially Hanji. After all, I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for that crazy ass woman."

Eren laughs, "she's totally insane."

Mikasa chuckles with them, "that she is."

Levi smiles a little to himself, clearly not thinking about a present time. He let his mind drift for only a moment back to that day when she literally barreled into him to keep him from pulling the trigger. He was soon pulled from his thoughts by Eren, who gave his hand another squeeze.

Grisha stood up after that, and invited Mikasa and the Jaegers to join him in cleaning up after the dinner, excusing Carla, Eren, Levi, and Grandma Schmidt because they had done all of the cooking. The four of them decided to head to the sitting room, where they could listen to Levi play soft melodies on the piano in the room while they held light conversation, in English, much to Levi's pleasure.

As Levi let his hands dance across the keys, he let his mind wander. This last week with the Jaeger family had been rather amazing, and eventful. He had arrived six days earlier a single man believing the only reason he had been invited was out of pity. Now he had a kind, beautiful, amazing boyfriend that accepted him no matter what he had done or what happened in his past, and the closest thing he ever had to a real family. These people took him in with open arms, asking no questions, and making him feel at home. Levi felt that there could be nothing better than that. This Thanksgiving would be one he would always remember, no matter what happened in the future with him and Eren. Nothing could change how he felt in that moment of peace and comfort.

Levi let a content smile rest on his face for the rest of the night as they were called back into the kitchen for pie and ice cream a while later. He and Eren sat on bar stools in the kitchen to eat their pie, and acted like a real couple for the first time in front of Eren's family. They fed each other pies off of each other's plates, and stole bites of ice cream from each other. Eventually, they ran out of dessert, and Eren gave Levi a peck on the lips before taking their plates to the sink to be washed later.

Everyone watched a movie that night with German subtitles playing along the bottom. Bear the dog sat on his haunches by Eren, who gladly petted him through almost the entire movie with one hand, and held Levi's with the other.

That night Eren and Levi went to bed without the pretense of sleeping in separate rooms, and shared chaste kisses and murmured sweet nothings to each other. They fell asleep with full stomachs and content smiles on their faces as Eren pressed himself back into Levi's strong, warm embrace.

The next day, Eren and Levi found themselves sad to be leaving, yet eager to get going. They packed their bags and loaded them into the car after breakfast. They knew they wouldn't be leaving until that night, but they wanted to be ready for that time. Eren couldn't seem to keep himself from asking Levi questions, either. "What is your house like?"

"I don't know. It's a house." Levi responded absentmindedly, working on his arrangement.

Eren sighed, "yeah, but what does it look like? Is it bigger than this house? What color is the outside? How many bathrooms does it have?"

Levi groaned, putting his pencil down to face Eren and answer his questions, "It's bigger than this house. Too big for one person, really. Hell, it was too big for three people. There are eight bedrooms that currently have beds in them, one that is used as more of an office, and one where I store my various musical instruments. That's ten bedrooms technically speaking. It has five and a half bathrooms. There are two floors and a basement. Four of the ten bedrooms are in the basement, and two of the bathrooms are down there. There's also a mini kitchen, a theater room, and a game room down there.

"On the main floor are the kitchen, living room, a formal sitting room that, like your parent's, is my piano room, and a formal dining room. Two bedrooms are on that floor, including the one I use as an office. The top floor is where the other bedrooms are, including the master bed and bath, and two other bathrooms, and of course, a library, though not as extensive as your dad's. The main floor has the half bath. The outside is half gray siding and half stone."

Levi took a breath, "happy now?"

Eren was practically glowing with excitement, "no way! I won't be satisfied until I see this mansion of yours!"

"It's not a mansion."

"Sounds like it."

Levi thinks about it for a minute, "I guess it kind of does, huh?"

"Does it have a pool?"

Levi cocks his eyebrow, "yes, but it's outdoors so we can't use it. It's empty right now. I have a hot tub we could use though."

Eren pumped his fist, "Hell yes!" Eren was vibrating with excitement. "Did you say the three of you paid for this with cash?"

Levi nodded.

"Holy shit! You guys were loaded!"

"Eren, I still kind of am. When Isabel and Farlan died they didn't have anyone to leave their money to. I was both of their beneficiaries. I inherited their share of everything."

Eren's jaw dropped, "that's amazing!" Levi gave him a look, and Eren realized what he said, "I mean, not that you inherited their money… I mean… well…" Eren tensed up, looking very nervous, "I'm sorry. That's not what I meant."

Levi shook his head, "It's alright, just watch what you say, would you?" He turned back to the piano to play again, and Eren finally shut up for a while.

The rest of the day went quicker than any of them would have liked, and before long dinner was over, and Levi and Eren were saying their goodbyes. They knew they would see everyone soon for Christmas, except maybe the Jaegers, they still weren't sure if they were going to come back for Christmas and the new year, but the parting was still sad. They had all grown to be very close over the last week, and learned to enjoy each other's company.

Carla and Grandma Schmidt were wishing them luck on finals, and telling them to be safe. The Jaegers stood back and watched them go without saying much. Mikasa gave both Eren and Levi a big hug, telling them she couldn't wait to see them both again. Grisha was the only one who deviated from this, and it made both Eren and Levi blush and move faster out the door to get away from him, "You boys be safe, and I mean that for more than just the drive. Use protection."

Eren could hear Levi make a sound in the back of his throat, and Eren turned bright red all the way down his neck. Eren fumbled with the door behind him, grabbing Levi's wrist, who was rooted to the spot, looking totally embarrassed, and mumbled a quick goodbye before dragging his boyfriend to the car and shoving him into the driver's seat. The brunet got in on the passenger side, and the two were on their way. Eren buried his face in his hands, "my dad is so freaking awful. He has no shame."

"That's because he's a doctor," Levi clarified what didn't need to be clarified.

"Yeah, I know. Let's just get to your house so we can enjoy a weekend of peace and quiet." Eren looked out his window at his hometown passing by.

Levi chuckled a little, "or so we can have sex."

Eren blushed again and spluttered, "n…no! I… I mean… well… um… that's….ugh…" Eren groaned, knowing he couldn't counter that at all, and instead asked, "are you clean?"

"Yes," Levi didn't even hesitate in his answer. "I was tested about a year ago, and I haven't done anything since. What about you?"

"I'm clean. The last time I had sex was with my last boyfriend who cheated on me toward the end of our relationship. I was super worried about it, so when we broke up I was tested like four times." Eren seemed a bit put-off.

"That's a bit excessive, don't you think?" Levi looked at Eren from the corner of his eye.

"Maybe a little, but I wasn't the only one worried about it. My dad made me get two of the four tests."

Levi nodded, "that makes sense. Your boyfriend cheated on you?"

Eren nodded, "yeah, he's a total douchebag. We had been together for almost two years. We were seniors in high school together, and started college together. We had talked about maybe getting married, too. We wanted to wait another year or two, but that was the plan. Then I found out he had been sleeping with another man for about six months. At that point I was just glad we weren't sharing a dorm room. I think he's still with that other man, too. I don't think I could trust someone if I knew they had cheated on someone else."

Levi scoffed, "douchebag is an understatement. Did he really dare to talk to you about marriage when he was sleeping with another man?" Eren nodded. "Can I ask what his name was?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty much over it," Eren nodded, taking Levi's hand over the center console. "His name was Reiner Braun. The man he cheated on me with was Bertholdt Hoover. I knew him, too. He was part of our friend group in school. We had all been friends since middle school."

"So how did you end up in a relationship with a friend?"

"I don't really know to be completely honest. I knew I had a crush on the guy, and he kept giving me these looks. Before I knew it, we were making out in the bathroom that no one used because that was where they gay couples went to have sex, which was what we ended up doing. After that we just started calling each other 'boyfriend'."

"And this other guy was supposedly another friend of yours?"

"Yeah, supposedly. I guess not, since he obviously knew about our relationship, yet decided to let Reiner seduce him, or possibly the other way around. Though I don't see him as the guy who would be able to do something like that. I don't know how my ex ended up fucking someone else, but I don't really want to know, either." Eren seemed like he was still angry about it, "whatever. It's in the past, and I've long since moved on."

"Okay. We can change topics now, if you'd like." Levi glanced at Eren from the corner of his eye. The brunet was looking both dejected and pissed off, though still held Levi's hand with a certain tenderness.

"That would be good. This is just pissing me off." He lifted Levi's hand to his lips and murmured into it, "you said you've never been in a relationship before, right?"

Levi nodded, "A few one night stands, and nothing more. When was the first time you had sex?"

Eren laughed, obviously amused by the thought, "actually, it was with someone I still know and see all the time. We're still friends, weirdly enough. There's never been any romantic feelings between us, in fact, we don't really get along at all. I'm sure I've complained to you about him before. I call him horse-face. His name is Jean." Levi made an 'o' shape with his mouth, knowing exactly who Eren was talking about, though he's never met the guy. "We were young, like fifteen. It was right before I came out to my parents. Jean and Armin were the only ones who knew about my sexuality. Jean came out to me a few days earlier, and he was the only other gay guy I knew. We were both rather curious about how it all worked, so we were just experimenting. You know, jacking each other off, kissing, and other lighter stuff. Nothing extreme. Now that I think about it, he was my first kiss, too. But anyways, one day he had googled gay sex. We had never gotten even close to that. We hadn't even given each other blow jobs at this point, but he wanted to try it. Once I learned how it worked, I was a little apprehensive. I had a feeling it would hurt.

"His parents were out of the house that day, and he was able to convince me to do it. I figured it would happen one day, and it must feel good if this was something people did, so I went with it. It was super awkward, and just thinking about it makes me cringe. We were terrible, but we figured it out eventually and got ourselves to cum. I remember being mad that he came inside me, and he swore he would never do it again. We did it a few more times, but eventually decided we had absolutely no feelings toward each other, so we stopped. It was only after that I learned we were supposed to use condoms if we didn't know the other was clean, and even after that because you just never know."

Levi was chuckling, and Eren had to ask, "what about your first time?"

Levi glanced over at him, "mine isn't an enjoyable story. In fact, I'm not even sure if it would be my first time, because I don't remember all of the things Kenny did to me since I blocked a lot of it out. He very well could have been my first. But the one I count as my first went something like this: I was about the same age, fifteen or sixteen, and I had just bought my own apartment. I was angry one day, and I don't even remember why, but I remember going home with someone random to prove a point. He wasn't gentle at all, and after that I decided I would rarely ever bottom again, if at all. I haven't bottomed since then, actually."

Eren frowned, "damn. I was hoping for a funny or awkward story. Oh well."

Levi than came up with a new question, "How many people have you had sex with?"

Eren laughed, "I never thought you would ask something like that. But I've had sex with three people so far." Levi nodded, and made a face that almost spoke surprise. Eren winked at him "I hope it doesn't get higher than four."

Levi smirked, "who is the third? I know about horse-face and your ex, but who is the other?"

Eren scratched the back of his head, looking slightly abashed, "that one is a little different. It was before I started seeing Reiner, and I was pretty wound up and sexually frustrated from watching a man I thought I couldn't have. He proved me wrong not long after, but still. Anyways, I don't even remember the guy's name, but he was super attractive, and I did it because I knew it would release a little tension. We did it in the back of his truck in the school parking lot. He obviously had a lot more experience than I did, but that was what I was looking for. He was a pretty good top, I just didn't have any feelings for him either."

"So you didn't experience sex with feelings until you were with Reiner?" Eren nodded to Levi's question.

"But now I have to know, too. How many, Levi?" Eren looked at Levi expectantly.

"Four," was his simple response. "I hope it doesn't get higher than five."

Eren laughed at that. The rest of their car ride was spent talking about first times and other weird and embarrassing things. By the time they pulled into the driveway of Levi's house, Eren had no interest in what the house looked like, or where things were. He only wanted Levi, and the raven apparently had similar thoughts as he pulled into the garage and then didn't even turn any lights on in the house before picking Eren up and carrying him upstairs to his bedroom, making out with him all the way.

His memory, he found out, was a little faulty because he missed the top step and tripped over it on the way to the bedroom. The two of them fell into a heap on the soft carpet at the top of the stairs, and Eren laughed into Levi's shoulder that was in his face. Levi couldn't help but laugh with him. He kissed Eren again, and picked him back up. This time, Eren wound his legs around Levi's waist and clung to him, grinding his hips into Levi's. When they reached the bedroom, Levi threw Eren onto the bed, pulling off both of their shoes, and crawling to hover over Eren. He had a feeling this would be a night he would never forget.

 **Alright, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Sorry, nothing explicit here. If you want the explicit stuff, I am going to write it and post it as it's own story. I don't want to deter anyone who is reading this that doesn't want to read that kind of stuff. I'll let you guys know when that is up. See you next time! ~HeartQueenVivaldi**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey, guys! HQV here! I hope you enjoy this new chapter. It's really just a bunch of tooth-rotting fluff, especially since there will be some angst in coming chapters. So enjoy the tooth-rotting sweetness. Also, I'm sorry it's taken so long to get this out. School started, so I'm doing a lot more homework than writing fanfiction. I'll keep updating, it'll just take me a lot longer than normal. Anyway, happy reading!**

Never Regret

Chapter 14

Eren woke up the next morning to the sun shining on his face, forcing him into a sleepy wakefulness. Levi's arms weren't around him, and Eren turned to see if Levi was on the other side of the massive king-size bed. He was met with cold, empty sheets. He sat up to look around, something he didn't have a chance to do the night before. The room was large. There was a big window to his left, mostly covered by gray curtains, except for the small gap that let in just enough sunlight to wake him up. The door was straight across the room from where he sat, and to his right was anther door that he assumed led to the bathroom.

Eren pulled himself from the bed, but as soon as he was on his feet a sharp pain shot up his spine from his lower back, his legs buckled and he collapsed into a heap on the soft carpet. "Shit." Eren moaned, trying to pull himself back up onto his feet. He was so sore he could barely stand. The brunet laughed, though, knowing exactly why this was happening. Levi was the best lover he had yet. He was kind and gentle with him in the beginning, but later pounded into him with intense fervor. He had told Eren he wouldn't be able to walk the next day. Eren chuckled at the memory, "damn, he wasn't kidding."

The brunet tried once again to pull himself up, and the bedroom door opened right then. Levi came in wearing nothing but sweatpants, holding a couple bottles of water, and upon seeing Eren in a heap on the floor, dropped them. He raced over to Eren, cupping his cheek, "Eren, are you alright? What happened? Why are you on the floor?"

Eren blushed furiously, "I… Uh… Can't walk…"

Eren could see the gears turning in Levi's head before he smirked, "Is that a bad thing?"

"Depends. What do you have planned for us today?" the brunet took Levi's hand in his own and kissed the palm.

Levi pulled Eren to his feet so that he could sit back down on the bed, "well I was thinking we could go out to breakfast, but since you can't walk I have a better idea. If you can give me an hour I'll run to the store and get enough food for the day, since I have literally no food, then I'm going to pamper you and spoil you rotten with baths, movies, treats, massages, or anything else you want. Sound good?"

"That sounds amazing. So I guess it's a good thing if I get to be spoiled for not being able to walk." Eren smiled as Levi leaned in to give him a tender kiss. The brunet snaked his arms around Levi's waist and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss, pushing his tongue past Levi's thin lips and exploring his mouth with his tongue.

Eren whimpered when Levi pulled away, and the raven smirked at him, "ready for round two already, Brat."

The brunet bit his bottom lip and nodded, pulling Levi in again to take his mouth in a fiery kiss. When they parted for air they were both so turned on they couldn't help it. Eren's mouth went to Levi's collar bones, and soon they were back at it, though this time Levi was a lot gentler, not wanting to make Eren any more sore than he already was.

When they laid together afterwards, Eren's head on Levi's chest, breathing heavy and feeling a little sleepy, Levi spoke logically, "I think I should go to the store now. It's almost ten o'clock, and we have a whole day of pampering to get to."

Eren sighed, "fine, but can I take a bath while you're gone?"

Levi chuckled, kissing the top of Eren's head, "of course. Come on." Levi got off the bed, and pulled Eren into his arms princess style, and carried him to the bathroom. He sat Eren on the edge of the massive bathtub big enough for two people and started the water running. When he was sure the water temperature was okay he picked Eren up again and lowered him into the water. "There are heaters here," Levi pointed to the controls on the wall, "they will keep the water warm for as long as you want. You can also use the jets if you'd like. I'm going to go get you a towel, then I'll head out. I shouldn't be too long. I'm only getting enough for today and tomorrow." Eren smiled contently when Levi kissed his forehead before retreating back into the bedroom, giving Eren a good view of his naked ass on the way out.

When he came back in he was wearing clothes, much to Eren's dismay. He put the towel on the counter by the sink and gave Eren one more kiss before leaving. Eren stayed in the bathtub for about twenty minutes, messing with the jets and thinking about Levi, before he quickly washed himself with Levi's shampoo and soap, and hoisted himself out of the water, hoping he could at least make it back to the bed without collapsing again.

He was pleasantly surprised to find his aching muscles less achy than before, and he was able to walk again, with a limp of course, but walking none the less. Eren wrapped the towel around his waist, and made his way to the bedroom where Levi had laid out Eren's favorite pair of sweatpants. The raven knew him so well.

After pulling the soft fabric on, not bothering with boxers or a shirt, he decided to look around the massive house a little. He was still a little sore, so he was slow moving, but he didn't mind. When he left the bedroom he remembered Levi saying something about the library being on the second floor, so he set on a mission to find it. It didn't take long, the first door he opened led to the very room he was looking for. Levi's library was small, but still had a lot of books in it. There was also a very comfortable couch in the middle of the room that he could see himself getting used to.

There were some pictures on a shelf by the door, and Eren moved to take a closer look. The first one captured his interest immediately. It was a picture of Levi and two other people that he hadn't seen before. There was a girl with messy red pigtails who was about the same height as Levi, and a tall boy with sandy blond hair. Eren immediately deduced them to be Isabel and Farlan. They were at the beach, and all three of them had huge smiles on their faces. The majority of these pictures were of the three of them, except for two. One of them was a picture of Hanji and Erwin, and the other was a picture of a man that looked kind of like Levi, but his face had sharper angles and he had brown eyes. He thought maybe this could be Levi's brother, but he couldn't be sure. He didn't even know the guy's name. He made a mental note to ask Levi later.

He moved back down the shelf to look at the picture of them on the beach again, and didn't notice when Levi entered the room. He was startled when he felt a set of strong arms wrap around him from behind. Levi spoke quietly when Eren turned back to the pictures on the shelf, "I miss them."

Eren's heart dropped at the quiet confession, "I know."

"That was a good day. It was the first time Isabel had ever seen the ocean, and her happiness was contagious. We couldn't help but smile with her." Levi rested his chin on Eren's shoulder, looking at the photo.

Eren proceeded to ask about all of them until he got to the picture of the strange man, "is this your brother?"

"Yeah. He can be a douche, but he's still my brother." Levi buried his face in Eren's back.

Eren grabbed Levi's hands with his own, "what's his name?"

"I haven't told you that yet?" Eren shook his head, and Levi sighed, "his name is Eric Louis Ackerman. Eric means 'eternal ruler' in Norse, and Louis means warrior in French."

"Is your name French, too?" Eren asks quietly.

"I'm not really sure. My uncle changed my name when I was very young because he couldn't ever spell my name correctly. I don't really remember what my birth name was. I would have to find my birth certificate, and I don't think I'm the one who has it. I think Kenny does, which is a scary thought. That would mean facing him again." Levi tightened his arms around Eren, and the brunet could almost feel the fear and nervousness radiating off of him.

"You don't have to do that, I was just curious." Eren turned in Levi's arms and hugged him close to his chest.

"Actually, Eren, I do," Levi pulled away to look at Eren. "I will need that certificate at some point. I'll have to face him again sooner or later. No matter how much I don't want to face my past, I will have to eventually."

"I could go with you if you want," Eren offered, and Levi shook his head.

"No. I couldn't do that to you. He's cruel, and I won't subject you to his ways." Levi looked at Eren sternly, clearly not going to budge on the topic.

Eren sighed, "and you shouldn't have to subject yourself to it, either."

"I won't have much other choice when it comes down to it. He has a few things that I'll need eventually." Levi thought for a minute. Then he brought up something Eren didn't expect to hear from Levi for quite some time, if ever, "for example, if I decide to marry someone, I have to have it. I won't be able to avoid that. Maybe I should just get it over with…"

The raven buried his face in Eren's neck, letting the brunet see his vulnerable side for just a minute. Eren rubbed his back, still thinking about the quick mention of the 'm' word, "just do it when you're ready. Don't do it before then, or the experience will be much worse. And I hope you aren't already thinking about marrying me."

Levi pulled back, "No! Goodness no. It's way too early for thoughts like that. We've barely been dating a week. I personally think we need to be together at least a year, if not more, before we even think about something like that."

Eren laughed, "I had a feeling that was the answer," he leaned in to peck Levi on the cheek, "I just found it kind of funny that you even mentioned it."

Levi chuckled, "well, believe it or not, it's something I've always wanted. Domesticity is a weakness of mine, and probably a fetish, too. I will probably ask you to move in with me sooner rather than later. I can't wait to see you in my kitchen with an apron on, or having a usual spot on the sofa in the living room, or folding laundry on the bed. To me, that's hot. Hotter than any scene we could come up with in the bedroom."

Eren laughed boisterously, "that's amazing, Levi. Who knew a guy like you could be so… well… simple."

Levi rolled his eyes, "speaking of simple, I bought eggs, milk, and bread for some toast. I even bought some bacon."

Eren's mouth started to water and his stomach growled at the mention of food, "that sounds amazing…"

Levi chuckled, "apparently your stomach agrees with you."

Eren blushed, and Levi pulled him back out into the hallway, closing the door to the library as he went, and led him downstairs and into the kitchen where there were a few plastic sacks of food on the counter. Eren started to help put the food away, but Levi stopped him, "ah, ah, ah. I'm pampering you today, remember? Go sit your pretty ass down," Levi squeezed Eren's butt for emphasis, "and let me do the work, m'kay?"

Eren rolled his eyes, but took a seat at a bar stool anyways. He watched Levi move through the kitchen as he cooked, mesmerized at the way he was able to do multiple things at once. He almost didn't notice when Levi placed a plate of food in front of him, almost. He thanked Levi quickly before digging into his breakfast. His stomach gurgled as he took his first few bites, and Eren moaned at the taste. Levi smirked at the sound, eating his own plate of food next to Eren.

When they finished, Levi stood back up, taking the plates with him to wash in the sink. Eren decided this would be good time to do some more exploring, so got up from his stool to walk around. The kitchen and living room were connected, just like in Eren's parent's house, and the leather couch in the living room looked very comfortable. There was a massive TV hanging on the wall over the fireplace. There was a small table in the kitchen just big enough for four people, but Levi didn't seem to need more than that. At the other end of the living room was a set of glass doors, and Eren could see a larger dining table inside the room. All of the rooms were decorated in a way that set the mood for each one: pictures and paintings of food and funny quotes in the kitchen, pictures of familiar smiling faces in the living room, and gorgeous, expensive looking paintings in the dining room.

The entry way was in the center of the house, and by the front door was a formal sitting room, and inside of that larger than normal sitting room was the most gorgeous piano Eren had ever seen. He approached it, not daring to touch the shiny black surface, or the gold logo that labeled the piano _Steinway and Sons_.

"Beautiful piano, isn't it?" Eren nodded when Levi spoke up next to him.

"Will you play it for me?" Eren asked, not looking away from the instrument.

"Of course," Levi moved to sit at the bench, and opened the lid that hid the white and black keys below it. He placed his hands on the keys, and started to play. The piano had a rich, beautiful sound, and Levi obviously took good care of the instrument, because it was perfectly in tune, and even though it was a little dusty, it was still polished underneath.

When the song ended, Eren sat next to Levi at the bench and kissed him sweetly. The raven spoke when they pulled apart, "would you like to see the rest of the house?"

Eren nodded, and Levi closed the lid to the piano before giving him the grand tour. They started in the basement where Levi pointed out the four bedrooms down there, and the game room that had a pool table, ping-pong table, and what looked like an entertainment center that had some game consoles in it. Eren would be using that. There was a theater with twelve recliner chairs and a few couches lining the walls, and a kitchenette close by the game room to be easily accessible.

They moved upstairs and Levi showed him the rooms he had already seen, plus the two bedrooms that were used as an office and music storage respectively. The storage room had boxes of sheet music, and a few other instruments, including a guitar, cello, saxophone, and a violin. Eren asked if Levi could play them all, and Levi told him he could, but not as well as he could play the piano. He also said it had been years since he had even touched the saxophone.

They moved back upstairs at that point, and Levi showed Eren the other three bedrooms on that floor. Two of them were connected by a bathroom, and the other one had it's own. When they finished the tour inside the house, Eren remembered something important, "you said you have a hot tub."

Levi rolled his eyes, leading Eren back to the master bedroom, "I do."

Eren started to jump up and down, but stopped, hissing when it jostled his aching back. He got over the pain quickly, though, and was back to being excited, just a little more contained. "Can we use it? Please, please, please!"

Levi looked Eren straight in the eyes before stripping his shirt and shorts off his body without saying a word, walking back out of the bedroom completely naked. Eren was a little stunned, but was pulled from his state of shock by Levi poking his head back into the room, "are you coming, Brat? You can't very well sit in a hot tub wearing sweat pants, can you?"

Eren was quick about dropping his sweats on the floor, folding them and putting them on the bed when Levi glared at him, and following Levi down to the kitchen and out the back door. He felt a little self-conscious walking through a strange house naked, and had to remind himself that he and Levi were the only ones there, and Levi had already seen him naked.

Levi opened the back door, and they were greeted with the sight of Levi's massive back yard, though not as big as Eren's parent's, that was kept private by big trees and bushes all the way around the perimeter. The yard was grassy and green, except for the deck they were standing on, and the concrete that surrounded the covered pool. The hot tub was to their right, covered by a brown solid cover.

Eren shivered as Levi walked over to it and pulled the cover off. Steam rolled off the water, and Eren rushed over to get in the hot water. They settled down in the water quickly to get out of the cold November, almost December, air. They sat in opposite corners at first, but soon Eren decided he didn't like that idea, and moved to sit next to Levi, trying to settle leaning into Levi's side. He couldn't find a comfortable position, though, and soon Levi grunted and maneuvered Eren so that he was sitting in Levi's lap sideways and could lay his head on Levi's shoulder.

They talked quietly, enjoying the hot water until things started to become frisky. Levi decided at that point that he didn't have any interest in having sex in the hot tub because he didn't want to have to clean it, so he hoisted Eren up and out of the water. He followed immediately after, covering the hot tub, and moving them inside and up into the shower quickly to keep shivering and teeth chattering to a minimum.

Only when they were in the shower did Levi allow them both to take things to the next level, letting their moans and Eren's screams echo off the walls of the bathroom.

After their shower, Eren wanted to watch a movie on the big TV in the living room, so that's what they did. Eren chose a cheesy romcom, and they didn't pay too much attention to it, far more interested in making out and whispering sweet nothings in each other's ears.

Eren eventually fell asleep on Levi's chest, and Levi let himself smile fondly into chestnut locks. He turned the TV off and let his own eyes drift closed.

When Eren woke up he was surprised to hear light snoring underneath him. He moved his head to look up at Levi, who was clearly asleep, hugging Eren to him like he was a teddy bear. His face was relaxed, and he looked so peaceful Eren thought maybe he wouldn't recognize him like this if he didn't know better. He was snoring just a little, and it made Eren chuckle. The sound was just enough to make Levi's eyes start to flutter open, and the snoring ceased.

Eren pecked Levi on the lips, "how did you sleep?"

Levi stretched a little underneath Eren, "fine. What about you?"

Eren smiled contently, "I slept great until your snoring woke me up."

The raven furrowed his brow and frowned at the brunet, "I don't snore."

"You totally do," Eren teased.

"I do not," Levi looked like he was ready to punch Eren in the face if he was lying.

"Yes, you do," Eren knew he wouldn't follow through with the punching even if he wanted to, because he loved the brunet.

"Prove it," Levi challenged.

"I will. Next time I catch you snoring I'll take a video." Levi looked really confused for a second.

"Did I really snore?" Eren nodded to the question, and Levi groaned.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with that. It's adorable." Eren grinned up at the raven.

"I'm not adorable," Levi complained wholeheartedly. "That's not why I work out every day at five o'clock in the morning."

Eren laughed at the comment, "You are so adorable, but guess what? You are also sexy, tough, hot as hell, and one hundred percent perfect."

A slight blush adorned Levi's face at the string of compliments, but mostly the last one. "perfect…" he sounded like he had mixed emotions about the idea.

"Yes, Levi. You are perfect, whether you believe it or not. You and all of your perfect imperfections."

"That's cheesy as hell," Levi stated matter of fact, and Eren laughed again.

"What's a relationship without some cheese?"

Levi rolled his eyes, "along the lines of cheese, I bought something special for lunch. What do you say?"

Eren looked really excited as he pushed himself up onto his knees on the couch, letting Levi get up, "Lunch sounds amazing right about now."

Levi led Eren to the kitchen, and sat him down at the bar before moving around the kitchen gathering ingredients to make what he had in mind. He had some crackers that had cracked pepper on them, a few different kinds of cheeses, ham, honey mustard, summer sausage, and a bottle of Pinot Noir wine. He cut up the cheese, ham, and sausage, put some crackers on a plate with them, set out the honey mustard, and placed the plates on the bar top in front of Eren, but told him to wait while he got two wine glasses for them and poured the red liquid into them.

Only when Levi was sitting next to him, and they both had their wine did Levi allow Eren to start eating. A few bites in, Eren took a sip of the wine and once again moaned at flavor. "Levi, this is all really good. What is the wine?"

"It's a Pinot Noir. One of my favorites, and it goes well with earthy flavors, like cheeses, tomatoes, breads, and crackers like these," Levi held up one of the crackers. "they are Triscuits with cracked pepper and olive oil."

Eren nodded, taking another sip of the wine, "I love it. It's like a build-your-own-mini-sandwich bar with delicious wine."

Levi chuckled, "yeah, it is. I do lunches like this a lot. It's really easy and fast, and the wine helps settle my nerves after classes."

"So that's why you always have wine of some kind in the cupboard." Levi nodded as Eren connected the dots.

"I try to stay away from anything stronger, because, well… you know what happens when I don't." Levi avoided eye contact with the brunet next to him.

"I would hope you don't do that too often. It's bad for you to drink that much. And you were like a totally different person that night. I honestly thought at the time that if you knew what I had seen you would kill me. I thought I was going to be dead the next morning, but I was pleasantly surprised when you let it slide so easily." Eren nibbled on a cracker as he thought back on that night when he came home to find Levi drunk and crying.

"Honestly, I figured it wasn't your fault you saw me like that. I should have expected it. It was my own damn fault for getting the whiskey out. If I didn't want you to see what I'm like when I'm sad and drunk, I shouldn't have drank in the first place." They fell silent for a minute, until Levi had a thought, "on the other hand, had you been the one to get me to drink in the first place it would have been a totally different outcome."

Eren laughed, finishing off their cheese and crackers, and sipping the last of his wine, "I've gotten you to drink before. It was just a week ago."

"Yes," Levi agreed, "but it was different. I didn't drink that much, and I was not upset that night. Quite the opposite, in fact."

"Oh?" Eren lifted an eyebrow as he looked sideways at Levi. "Does that mean you were happy to go out with me? Perhaps we need to go on a lot more dates, then."

Levi rolled his eyes, "perhaps." He stood to take the plate to the sink and wash it. When he put it away, he went back to Eren, swiveled the stool around, and wedged himself between Eren's legs. "What do you want to do now?"

Eren wrapped his arms around Levi's neck, "I don't know. Did you mention something about a massage earlier this morning?"

Levi nodded, kissing Eren's neck and jaw and speaking into the tanned flesh, "I did."

The brunet gasped when Levi bit down lightly on his neck where it met his shoulder, "I might…. Uh… have to take you up on that," he said breathlessly through Levi's treatment of one of his most sensitive spots.

Levi pulled Eren from the stool, and Eren wrapped his legs around Levi's waist. He carried the brunette up the stairs and into the bedroom, where he set the brunet on the edge of the bed, and pulled his shirt over his head. Then he eased the younger man onto his stomach and climbed over him to straddle the brunet's legs and sit on the backs of his thighs.

He started rubbing firm, soothing circles in the broad, tan back below him, earning groans into the pillow whenever he got a particularly sore spot. He worked his way down Eren's back, then to each shoulder and down his arms, then to his legs, moving off of them and taking the other's pants off to do so. Finally, when every muscle in Eren was loose, he took the perfect globes of Eren's ass into each hand and massaged them through the younger's boxers, eliciting a different kind of groan into the pillow below Eren's face.

Levi chuckled lightly, leaning over to kiss down Eren's spine until he met a line of boxers, halting his progress. "You know, if you do this you'll probably have to give me another massage." Eren's words were muffled into the pillow, but Levi heard it all the same.

"That's alright. I would rather ravish you right now anyways." Sure enough, about an hour later Levi was massaging Eren's lower back once again, working the knots out, and breaking up lactic acid that seemed to like taking residence in Eren's muscles.

"It hurts so good…" Eren stated, making Levi pause.

"It what?" He tilted his head to the side to see Eren's face a little better from his spot on his legs.

"It hurts, but it feels so good at the same time," Eren looked over his shoulder at the raven, "so, I say again, 'it hurts so good'." Eren practically moaned the last few words in that sentence and collapsed back onto the pillow.

"What am I going to do with you?" Levi shook his head, returning to his task.

"Love me. All we need is love, just like this." Eren seemed so content with that, and Levi didn't have the heart to reject or deny it. In fact, he couldn't if he wanted to. He was totally in love with this kid, and the craziest part of that was the fact that Levi didn't even notice he was falling in love until he was already drowning in it. He grew to love Eren more and more every day he spent with him, and every day he didn't think he could love any more. He thought he had already given his whole heart to his two very best friends, and that they took his heart with them when they died. Yet, here he was, falling deeper every day as Eren helped him stitch his shattered heart back together with kind words and a loving soul.

Levi couldn't help the next words that rolled off his tongue easily, as if he had said them every day for a thousand years. Words he never thought he would say to anyone. "I love you." he spoke softly into the skin between Eren's shoulder blades, snaking his arms around the brunet's torso and hugging him tight.

Eren grinned into the soft pillow below him, "I love you, too."


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey Guys! HQV here. Sorry it's been so long, and this chapter is short. But hey, I figured I owed you guys at least something for the long wait. This is mainly just a filler chapter and soon we will be moving into winter break for our boys. Probably only one more chapter dealing with finals week, then the plot thickens! So get ready for that. Enjoy this little chapter. Don't forget to follow and review! Love you guys! ~Heart QueenVivaldi**

Never Regret

Chapter 15

Eren buried his face in the book on the desk in front of him. It was the first day back from Thanksgiving break, and he was having a hard time staying awake in his 9 o'clock class. Kim was sitting next to him, and wouldn't let him fall asleep, even if they did sit in the back of the class and probably wouldn't be noticed.

The rest of the weekend had been amazing. He spent all of Sunday alone with Levi, sharing kisses, cooking together, and making love. It was the most amazing weekend Eren had ever had. He smiled softly at the memories he couldn't seem to let go of, not that he wanted to. Then he frowned at the last memory from the weekend. When they arrived back at the dorm, he realized he most likely wouldn't be able to sleep next to Levi. Neither of them exactly had a big enough bed. They weren't meant to be shared. Levi had agreed, much to Eren's chagrin.

They slept separately that night for the first time since making their relationship official. Eren found himself unable to sleep well because of it. Sadly, Eren noticed they started to fall back into their old routine, the only difference being that when Levi returned from the gym he pecked Eren quickly on the lips before shooing him out of the bathroom like usual.

Eren became concerned that they were going to be stuck, and that their relationship wouldn't make any progress from where they were at that moment, all because of a bed that was too small for them to sleep together.

The professor excused the class, and Eren gathered his things quickly. Kim had been prying him for details since he saw her before class, and she wasn't about to let up, either. "Come on, Eren! What happened with you and Levi?" She had to jog to keep up with his fast pace toward his next class. She pulled on his shoulder, and spun him around. She grasped onto his arms to keep him from turning away again. "Please tell me?"

Eren sighed, "Fine, he's my boyfriend now. Happy? But I don't know how well this is going to go from here on out, so don't go spreading it or anything."

Kim squealed and jumped up and down a little. "I knew you liked him!" She exclaimed, and Eren cringed away from her loud voice. She could be just like Hanji sometimes. He now understood Levi's pain when it came to crazy brunettes.

"Kim, I have to get to class, but we can talk more about this when we go to lunch later." Eren sighed and started to turn away again.

"Okay. The café as usual?" Kim grinned at him.

Eren nodded at the question and entered his classroom without another word. The class went by too quickly, and he was soon walking into the homey café as usual. Kim was already there, and Eren braced himself for impact as he joined her at the booth.

"Well," Kim started, "Go on. I want all of the juicy details. When did you first kiss? Did you do the deed, or have you not gotten that far, yet? Did you two spend the entire week at your parents' house, or did you end up going somewhere else?" Kim winked at him, and Eren rolled his eyes.

"We kissed on our first night there, and we stayed at my parents' house until Friday, then he took me to his house for the last two nights until last night, when we came back here. Before you ask again, yes we had sex." Eren resolved then that he would divulge no more on that subject. She didn't need to know all he and Levi did in their alone time.

She squealed like a fangirl on her side of the booth, and Eren shook his head. She spoke quickly and loudly. "Tell me more! I want details, man."

"There's not much to say."

"What do you mean 'there's not much to say'?"

"I mean just that." Eren stirred his coffee that the waitress had set in front of him.

"How can that be true? You have a new boyfriend that you had sex with for the first time on Friday. There's plenty to say, I'm sure. You're just not telling me."

"What ever happened to a couple being able to keep their private lives just that, private?" Eren sipped at the brown liquid in his cup.

Kim huffed, "Come on, you must be able to tell me something. Is he a good kisser? I bet he's super sweet and gentle. You've always called him an asshole, but I think he's probably just a sweet teddy bear inside."

Eren grimaced at the image. "No, no. Levi's no teddy bear. I guess he does have something of a soft spot, though. We spent all Saturday laying around, and he did anything and everything I wanted to do. He was kind and gentle in a way I hadn't seen yet. And yes, he's a really good kisser."

Kim smiled softly at him, letting go of her manic side for a second. "That's amazing, Eren. I'm so glad you two have a good relationship."

Eren smiled, but it quickly fell. Kim gave him a questioning look, and Eren decided to tell her a little of what he was feeling. "I don't know what to think. We fell back into our old routine a little too easily. Nothing seems to have changed in the way I expected it to."

Kim gave him a strange look. "Eren, it's only been a day. You can't say that for sure, can you?" Eren shrugged. "Give it a few days, and see what happens before you start worrying about things like that. You only have half a day to go off so far. That's not nearly enough time to start worrying about something like that."

Eren shrugged, "Fine, I guess."

Eren couldn't help but worry about it for the rest of the day as he went to work and dealt with Jean's antics, which he just couldn't seem to combat that day. Jean even noticed. "Hey, kid. What's got your head all in a knot?"

Eren looked up from the ribbon he was twirling around his finger that he was supposed to be making into a wreath. "Huh?"

"You didn't even say anything when I called you a maniac just a second ago. You didn't even hear me. So again, what's going on in that thick head of yours? Guy trouble?"

Eren groans, "I'm not having guy trouble," he lied. "And even if I was, I wouldn't tell you about it."

"Fine, whatever, you crazy psycho." They went back to making wreaths in silence until Jean got a ribbon tied around his finger and it was cutting off the circulation. Eren had to cut the ribbon off his finger as they cursed at each other. When it was off Jean mumbled a quiet thank you and looked to Eren sideways. "You know, we might bicker and argue a lot, but we've been through a lot together as well. You're still a friend first and foremost. If you need anything…"

"I'm fine, Jean, but thanks for the thought." Eren got up to help the customer that walked through the door, and avoided Jean for the rest of the evening.

Walking into the dorm was probably the easiest part of the day, but in many ways felt like the hardest. He wasn't sure what to expect upon entering the apartment, and it scared him more than he would have liked to admit. When he opened the door he was met with the smell of seasonings and the sound of sizzling coming from the kitchen.

He turned his head toward the rich smell of cooking chicken to find Levi there, cooking enough for the both of them. Eren approached Levi and went to kiss him on the cheek, but was pleasantly surprised when Levi turned his head just in time for their lips to meet. Eren sighed into the kiss he didn't even realize he needed.

Levi pulled away. "How was your day?"

Eren bit his bottom lip to keep it from quivering. He hadn't stopped thinking about everything for the whole day, and the emotional stress from worrying about his new dilemma made him feel like he was about to cry. Instead of answering, he pressed his forehead against Levi's and closed his eyes. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his nerves before he lost it completely.

Levi nudged Eren away a little and placed a steady hand on Eren's cheek, making Eren open his eyes again. Levi pulled him in for another sweet kiss on the lips, and another on the cheek, then pulled away to look Eren in the eyes. The younger boy's emeralds were already swimming in tears that he wouldn't let fall. The sight made his heart clench for the other man. He decided to ask a new question, "Eren. What's wrong? What happened?" The tears finally fell from Eren's eyes, and the was the turning point for Levi.

He reached over to turn the stove off and move the chicken off of the hot burner before pulling Eren into the living room to sit on the couch. He leaned back against the arm rest of the sofa, and pulled Eren to his chest, petting his hair and just letting him cry silently.

After only a few minutes, Eren pulled away and wiped the stray tears away. "Sorry. This is so stupid, and I'm probably over-reacting. I probably shouldn't even be worrying about it."

Levi furrowed his brow in confusion. "What has you worrying?" He sat up with Eren to be closer to his level.

Eren shook his head and ran a hand through his hair, "like I said, It's probably nothing."

Levi shook his own head, and pulled Eren down for yet another kiss. When their lips parted Levi kept his forehead connected to Eren's. "Obviously it's not 'nothing' if it has you worried. So what's going on?"

Eren leaned forward a little more to rest his head on Levi's shoulder. "I just feel like nothing's changed now that we are back here. We went back to the same old routine, the same little fights, and the same relationship as before. It scares me. I thought things would be different than they were before. And so far, nothing is different. We fought over the bathroom this morning, just like we did before. I left without saying goodbye this morning. I don't know. It's just not what I expected, and I know we have only had a half of a day to judge this off of, but still…" Eren left the sentence hanging, but Levi still had a good idea where he was going with this.

Levi chuckled with a little humor behind it. "Oh, Eren. You really are a brat." He nearly whispered the words, and Eren's heart warmed a little from the affection behind them. "Is this because we didn't sleep together last night?"

Eren shrugged a little, honestly confused by his own reactions to the small things. "I honestly don't know." He sat up and leaned back in the middle of the couch. Levi followed him up and sat facing him, one leg dangling off the side, and the other tucked up under his thigh.

Levi thought for a moment, and took Eren's hand in his own. He noticed that the younger's hands were rough and most likely stained in multicolor due to his constant use of art supplies of all kinds. He lifted the hand to his face and reverently placed a soft kiss to the back of it. When he looked up at Eren, he was looking at him strangely. Before Eren could even ask, Levi answered a totally different question. "Eren, I know this is going to be hard. It will be all too easy to fall right back into our previous relationship, but I also know that's not going to happen. Know why?" Eren shook his head 'no.' Levi smiled minutely before continuing, "I know that because we love each other. I don't know about you, but there's no way I could go back to ignoring you or making you make your own food. And honestly, I kind of want some things to stay the same. In actuality, I have always enjoyed our morning tiffs, including kicking you out of the bathroom before you've completely tamed your hair or brushed your teeth. The point is, Eren, a lot has changed, but not everything needs to for us to be together. In fact, I think it's almost healthier for our relationship if we keep some things the same."

Eren chucked under his breath and pecked Levi on the lips. Levi looked at him funny and asked, "What's so funny, brat?"

Laughing a little harder, Eren responded, "I just find it kind of amusing how only a week ago you were telling me how awful you would be at a relationship, and that I would be the one needing to teach you. Yet, here you are, telling me how our relationship should be handled. I just found it ironic."

Levi shook his head and pulled Eren into his arms again. "Brat." With Eren soothed and comforted, Levi suggested they finish dinner together, and Eren agreed enthusiastically. Levi finished the chicken and Eren made a salad and rice to go with it.

As they fed each other and relaxed after all of the swirling emotions, Eren couldn't help but smile. He decided he was one of the luckiest guys in the world to have Levi by his side; to be in love with him, and have earned his love in return.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey Guys! What's this? Another chapter? No way! Yep, believe it. I actually got two chapters out in a reasonable amount of time. And it's a long one, so enjoy it to the fullest! I have ideas for the next few as well, so you can hopefully expect that in the next few days, too! Love you guys! Thanks for all of the lovely support! Don't forget to review! ~HeartQueenVivaldi**

Never Regret

Chapter 16

Levi groaned as his fingers stumbled over the keys yet again. He had been working on a new passage to his arrangement, and he was finally almost done. It was almost perfect, and exactly what he wanted it to be, but as the due date came closer and closer, he found it harder and harder to focus and make his fingers move fluidly as they had been conditioned to do. With his recent mistake, he pounded a few random keys in frustration, and put his face in his hands, his elbows resting on the piano in front of him.

He had reserved a sound-proof music room on the top floor of the music hall, and he knew no one would see or hear him where he was, which was good, as his emotions were beginning to get the best of him. He decided maybe it was best to take a break for a minute, so he gathered his things, and walked back to the dorms. He knew Eren had taken the next two weeks off work to focus on finals, and Levi let himself smile a little at the thought of getting to see Eren when he got home, even though the kid would probably be focused on his own final projects. At least he could see him.

Their relationship had only improved since thanksgiving break, and Levi found himself falling more in love with Eren every day. They had finally given in and started squeezing into one of their beds every night to sleep together, though that's all that happened lately. They had both become so wrapped up in assignments and trying to pass classes that the physical part of their relationship had suffered quite a bit. Levi didn't mind it too much most of the time. He knew they would get their chance to have each other all they wanted for an entire month over the break. And they planned on spending most of that break at Levi's house.

As Levi opened the door to the dorms his phone started to ring. He half expected it to be Eren, so was surprised to see Hanji's picture and name flashing across the screen when he pulled the device from his pocket. She was supposed to be half way around the world and unable to call him, and he said as much when he answered, "Hey, Shitty Glasses, aren't you supposed to be half-way across the world and not able to call because, as you said, it would cost too much?"

He could hear maniacal laughter on the other end of the line. " _Well, hello to you, too, Grumpy._ "

Levi rolled his eyes at the nickname she had given him years ago, and snapped back, "would you just answer the damn question, you psycho."

"Okay, okay. I am still in Europe, but I just ran into Erwin and Mike unexpectedly in Berlin, and we were all wondering how you are faring all alone over there. And we wanted to let you know we will probably all be coming back for Christmas and your birthday, so you don't have to spend them alone!" She laughed loudly again at Levi's groan.

Rolling his eyes as he unlocked the door to his and Eren's dorm, he responded, "If you'll recall, I'm not alone. I have Eren here."

"Oh, but I know you won't let him anywhere near you. You haven't yet, and I'm almost positive you won't have a sudden change of heart before we get home. So, we are coming home to be with you for Christmas. And don't try to change my mind, I've already switched the date on my plane ticket, and so have Erwin and Mike. You don't have a choice."

Levi shook his head and rolled his eyes, then looked up to see Eren giving him a funny look where he sat on the couch with a notepad on his lap and drawings spread out around him on the coffee table, couch, and even the floor. Levi just pointed at the phone and mouthed 'Hanji' to him, and Eren made an O shape with his mouth and turned back to his work. "Shitty glasses, you haven't been here in almost a month, and I've been fine. Besides, Eren's my boyfriend now." The last line he said so nonchalantly that Hanji didn't even seem to notice he said it for a second.

"But no one should have to be alone for all three big holidays in a row..." she paused a very pregnant pause, obviously letting what Levi had said sink in, the gears turning over in her head. Levi could hear the gears grinding over the phone. Suddenly, and without warning, Hanji let out the highest pitched squeal he had ever heard, and in doing so, almost blew out his ear drums. He held the phone out from him at arm length as the squealing continued so loudly that Eren looked back up from his project and up to the phone in Levi's hand with an eyebrow raised.

He looked at Levi and finally spoke up, "You had to tell her, didn't you?" Levi just shrugged and put the phone back to his ear when the sound finally died down. Eren turned back down to his notepad.

"Shitty glasses, you almost blew out my eardrums. Never do that again." Levi put his backpack down next to the bench at the keyboard, and sat down on it, facing away from the keys.

"But, shorty! You have a boyfriend!" Hanji complained, but half-heartedly, still too excited from the good news.

"I know that, weirdo." Levi rolled his eyes yet again.

"Well, now we're definitely coming home. I am not going to miss even one more second of this. I can stay at your house, right?"

Levi huffed, "Hanji, you already basically have your own room, and a key to the house. Why would I say no?"

Hanji squealed again, though much quieter this time, and gasped suddenly. "Oh my gosh Levi, this is costing me so much money. I gotta go, but I'll be there soon. Don't have too much fun without me!" And the line went dead. Levi hung up his end, and slumped forward a little, rubbing his eyes with his palms.

Suddenly Eren was in front of him and pulling his hands away from his face. "Are you okay?"

Levi sighed and leaned forward to hug Eren around the neck. Eren laughed and stood up, taking Levi with him. Levi was so short that when Eren stood, Levi's feet didn't even touch the ground. "I'm fine. Just frustrated with all of these final projects and tests and shit."

Eren put him down, and pulled the shorter male in for a sweet, chaste kiss. "Why don't we take a break for a minute." He spoke against Levi's lips, and the older groaned lowly at the suggestion. Eren took that as a yes and pulled Levi toward his own room.

The activity had been much needed. It had been far too long since he had expressed his love to Eren in that way and was pleasantly relaxed after as he made dinner for the two of them while Eren finished the last touches on his project and was able to put that one up just to start on another one.

As Levi placed two plates on the table with breaded chicken, rice, and a little salad, Eren came up behind him and wrapped his arms around him. "hey, Levi?"

"Hmm?" Levi answered as he put the forks on the plates.

"Remember that project I have to do: A life-like portrait using an element other than lead?" Levi nodded, turning in his hold to look him in the eyes. "Now I need a real answer. Will you let me draw you with charcoal?"

Levi groaned and rested his head on Eren's chest. The younger chuckled, and Levi spoke, his voice muffled in Eren's shirt. "Do I have to?"

Eren buried his nose in Levi's hair, and chuckled again. "No, but I would be incredibly grateful if you did. If you don't I have to find someone or something else to draw. And we wouldn't want that. I might be forced to draw Kim, or Jean."

Levi went stiff at the mention of Jean. After hearing Eren and Jean's past, Levi wasn't very fond of the other male, and he hadn't even met him. He had let Eren know his displeasure of knowing he worked with Eren, but the younger had soothed his worries, promising there was nothing between them anymore, and there hadn't been since high school. Levi let it go because it was work, but like hell he was going to let Eren hang out with that horse-face jerk outside of such a setting. And Eren knew it. "Damn it. Fine, I'll do it. When?"

Eren back away with a triumphant grin on his face and sat in his seat at the table. After dinner if that's alright. I can get the basics tonight, then I can do the finishing touches without you in front of me."

"That's fine. But don't you need to finish with me, like, sitting in the same position for hours?" Levi sat in his own seat and started to cut into his chicken.

Eren spoke as he did the same. "Yes, but no. With most people I probably would, but I've drawn you enough, and stared at your features enough that I don't have to with you. If I can get the basic shapes and angles, I think I'll be fine without having to put you through that."

Levi finished chewing his piece of meat and swallowed. "Thanks for that. That's the whole reason I was going to say no in the first place." Levi took a sip from his water, thinking the conversation was over until he thought of the other reason he had considered saying no. "Who exactly is going to get to see this piece of work?"

Eren shrugged, "My professor, and maybe one or two other students. It's not like I would put it on display without your permission."

Levi visibly relaxed at the information. "Good."

One week later, and Levi had just finished his arrangement, finally, and had put it in his bag when Eren came bursting through the front door. Levi looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

Eren didn't say anything and threw his bag onto the counter and pulled something out of it. Levi recognized it as the large sheet of paper that Eren had used to draw him. He handed it over to Levi, and the older man took it. The image had turned out amazing. It looked exactly like him, and the black and white brought out his features well. He was glad he had let Eren do it. Attached to the image was a piece of paper that had a big A written in red at the top, and what looked like notes from Eren's professor. As Levi scanned the notes, he let a small smile spread across his face, and when he looked up at Eren, the younger was grinning. He looked so happy that Levi nearly melted and fell for him all over again.

"Congratulations. That's amazing, Eren."

"Thanks. I feel like I earned it. After all, I had to win your heart and make you fall for me before it could happen." Levi rolled his eyes, and was about to retort, but Eren continued, "And in the process, I fell for you, too."

Levi softened, and approached Eren to kiss him on the corner of the mouth. "Thanks, babe. Now, I need to get going. I need to turn in my arrangement."

Eren's eyes lit up even more if it were possible. "It's done?!"

Levi nodded. "And it's the last thing I have to turn in, and then one final for music theory next week. It's almost over."

Eren's smile faltered. "I wish I was almost done. I still have a final essay for English, and two other art projects, and neither of them are quite so exciting as the one I turned in today, and three finals next week. It's so lame! But I have to hear this arrangement. You've been working on it all semester, so it's got to be good."

"Brat." Levi shook his head. "This has been being worked on for nearly a full year. I'm just glad it is finally done. And I will be happy to play it for you in full when I have a real piano in front of me."

Levi walked to the front door with his bag on his back and turned to look at Eren before leaving. "Why don't you see if you can finish another project tonight, if not a project and that essay. I'll be back in a little while." Eren nodded, and Levi left to go find his professor to turn in his own project.

A few hours later, Levi walked back through the door to see Eren asleep on the couch with his laptop open on his stomach. It was only 6, so he decided he had to wake him up. They still needed to have dinner anyways. He approached the younger and closed the laptop to put it on the coffee table and leaned down to kiss Eren softly on the lips. Eren groaned and his brow furrowed a little. Levi did it again, and his eyes fluttered open. He murmured sleepily, "how did it go?"

"I got an A. Now, come on, and help me with dinner."

Eren sat up and stretched as Levi walked over to the kitchen, and he followed not long after. He walked in just as Levi was pulling a pan from over the stove to cook the pork chops he had pulled from the refrigerator that had been marinating since Levi awoke that morning. "Congrats on getting an A. I know you've worked hard on that."

"Thank you, Eren. Now get the asparagus from the fridge and cook it in the amazing way you do." Levi continued to work on the meat.

"Always right to the point, aren't you, Levi?"

"Who would I be if I wasn't?" Levi asked, but didn't really need an answer from Eren. But he expected to get one anyways.

"Not yourself, that's who." Eren chuckled to himself as he pulled the bag from the fridge that had asparagus in it. "Why did we buy asparagus again? We are supposed to be poor college students."

Levi replied as he placed the pork chops in the pan to start cooking, "Speak for yourself. I'm not going to be labeled as poor in any way, mostly just because I absolutely am not in that category. Now, you on the other hand, can probably claim, as you said, 'poor college student'."

Eren laughed and grabbed another pan hanging over the stove and put it on the burner next to Levi's pan. He turned on the burner to start heating the pan while he turned to get the olive oil, salt and lemon pepper from the cupboard. His version of asparagus cut out the boiling, which he found boring, and he instead roasted it in a pan. The first time he had made it for Levi was before they started dating when asparagus had been on sale at the local grocery store, and it had been one of the first compliments Levi had paid Eren. He had been so completely blown away by the bursting flavors of the lemon and olive oil he couldn't help but give credit where credit is due. He had made Eren make it frequently since then, going through the trouble of buying asparagus himself, even if it wasn't on sale, just so he could have it.

Levi couldn't help but smile, just a little, as he watched Eren coat the bottom of the pan in a layer of oil, throw the asparagus in the pan, and drizzle yet even more oil over the top of the vegetable. Then came the generous amount of lemon pepper, and a little salt to balance out the flavors. Within seconds the kitchen smelled of lemon, olive oil, and Levi's soy sauce marinade. It was a mouth-watering combination, and Levi couldn't wait to get to the best part: eating.

As expected, their dinner was incredible. Levi had made some sticky rice to go with their meal, and they ate in silence, too consumed by the delicious meal to bother with talking.

When their dinner was over, and dishes cleaned up, they reconvened on the couch, where Eren half-groaned half-whimpered as he pulled his laptop back into his lap from where it sat on the coffee table. As the computer turned on, Levi asked, "what did you get done while I was gone today?"

"I was able to finish my two projects for my art classes, since they were pretty close to being done anyways, and I got through, like, two sentences of my essay before I fell asleep." Eren typed in his password and sighed at the document open on the screen.

"That's good progress. Just think, this essay, three finals, and it's all over until January. You can do it, I promise."

Eren smiled at Levi and kissed him on the cheek before turning back to his essay to start typing. Levi decided to watch a movie quietly on his phone with headphones in to not disturb his younger boyfriend while he worked.

It was nearing ten o'clock and Levi was half way through the second movie when Eren stretched and closed the lid to the laptop. Levi paused his movie, removed his headphones, and moved closer to Eren. When he was on his knees next to Eren, he took his phone, and Eren's laptop and put them on the coffee table, out of the way so that he could cuddle with Eren properly. "Finished?" He asked as he sat in Eren's lap and rested his head on the younger's shoulder.

"Finished and turned in," Eren replied proudly, and Levi could feel him relax when he had said it. "I'm so glad I just have those finals next week. Then I'm done. Officially."

"It'll be nice, no doubt. We can get out of this little dorm and get some space at my house. Though we will have to spend a day cleaning, since I haven't had a chance to clean anything but the kitchen and my bedroom since the end of summer. There was so much dust everywhere when we were there. It was disgusting."

Eren laughed through his nose as he nuzzled into Levi's hair. "You're such a clean freak."

"Yep," Levi responded without hesitation. Eren laughed again.

They sat like that for another minute, simply basking in each other's presence before Eren remembered something, "Hey, Levi." Levi hummed in response, making it sound like he was half asleep already. "Didn't Hanji call you last week to say she and Erwin were coming home to spend Christmas with you?"

Levi lifted his head from Eren's shoulder and looked up at him, "Yeah, why?"

"Well, didn't you already tell my parents you would be spending Christmas with us?" Levi stiffened in Eren's hold, and the younger gave him a funny look.

"Holy shit, I did. Didn't I?" His eyes widened when Eren nodded at him. "Well damn. I was really looking forward to that." Levi's face got a look that basically said, 'now what?'

"Well, not everyone will fit in my parent's house, as sad as that is to say." Eren replied.

"No, and I wouldn't expect your mom and dad to go through that, just so I could spend Christmas with both you and my friends. That wouldn't be right."

"You're right…" Eren thought for a minute about possibilities that would make everyone happy, and suddenly he got an idea. "Don't be mad. I have an idea, but you may not like it very much."

"You might as well just spit it out, brat. Besides, maybe it's not that bad." Levi almost instantly was proven wrong when Eren replied.

"You could have everyone at your hou…"

"No way in hell." Levi had responded before Eren could even finish his sentence.

"But your house is big enough to fit everyone, and my mom and grandma will probably come help you clean and get ready. It would only be for a couple nights." Levi had stood up while Eren was talking, and pacing in front of the TV.

"Okay, yeah, but do you know how messy people are? And that means we would not only have to clean the ENTIRE house, but decorate, too! I can usually get away with not cleaning all the bedrooms every time if I just close the doors and pretend they aren't there, but people coming over would mean cleaning them. Not to mention I would have to buy beds for three rooms, because they aren't all furnished like they should be for guest rooms."

Eren had never heard Levi rant like this and was trying his hardest not to laugh at Levi's out-of-control, spontaneous rambling. He would have kept going if Eren hadn't stopped him in his pacing and kissed him full on the mouth to get him to stop. It was kind of funny to see Levi panic, if only slightly, but needed to put a stop to it. "Levi. Stop. I can help you. And, like I said, my mom and grandma will probably come help, too if you ask nicely. And my mom would appreciate not having to host yet another family get together. It's been her job for as long as I can remember, and I feel kind of bad for her. If for no other reason, would you do it to give her a little break?"

Levi huffed and returned to the couch, leaving Eren standing. He plopped down in the middle, and looked to Eren expectantly, "well if we are going to be hosting Christmas and New Years at my house, we might as well call and ask your mom about it. Let me just give her a call." Levi grabbed his phone from the coffee table and scrolled to Carla's name in his contacts. Just before he pressed send, he looked up to Eren, who had a confused look on his face. "What?" he asked.

"How do you have my mom's number?"

"We exchanged numbers on the day Mikasa stole you away, and your parents and I spent pretty much the whole day together. I have your dad's number too, actually." As if he hadn't just blown a hole through Eren's brain, Levi pressed dial, and Carla picked up in only two rings.

"Levi! How are you?" Carla asked enthusiastically on her end of the line.

"I'm doing great, Carla, how about you?" Once pleasantries were exchanged, Levi explained his dilemma to Carla, and Eren's idea for a solution. Carla seemed to like the idea, but was worried about Levi having to host that many people twice within the span of only a month. Levi explained that he was alright with it if he had help cleaning before and after. Carla told him she would happily recruit her mother, and the two of them would head over as soon as Levi was ready for them.

The two spent over an hour on the phone making arrangements, and it was nearing midnight when Carla asked one final question, "Do you really have enough rooms?"

"I have eleven total bedrooms, and six and a half bathrooms. Only eight of the bedrooms are really what I consider useable though. One of them I have made into a study, much like Grisha's, one is music storage, and the other is, well, let's not talk about that right now."

Eren looked over at Levi curiously from his spot on the other end of the couch at the last statement, and Levi held up a finger to tell him to hang on a second. With Carla having been consoled, the two said their goodbyes, and Levi finally hung up the phone. Eren immediately asked his question, "what's in the other room?"

Levi looked up from his blank phone screen. "Isabel and Farlan's things. I didn't want to leave their rooms looking as they did before they died, because that was too painful, but I couldn't bring myself to get rid of any of it either. So instead it just sits in a spare room with the door closed where I can't see it."

Eren sighs and leans forward to pull Levi towards him. Levi follows willingly and the two of them lay cuddled like that for a minute before Eren gets the courage to speak again, "you really did have a rough time after they died, huh?"

Levi scoffs softly, "Eren, I held a gun to my head nine months later. Rough is an understatement."

"But Hanji saved you."

"If she hadn't walked in when she did, I would be dead."

"I know. Come on, let's go to bed. It's been a long day." Eren sat them up, and led them both to his own room, deciding that seeing his pictures of his two best friends would not be what was best for Levi at that moment.

The next week went by far too slowly for Eren's liking. He took two more shifts at the store over the weekend before finals week, because he and Levi planned to leave the second Eren was done with his last final. Eren was beyond excited to spend the month off school with Levi, and of course that excitement only made the time go by far slower than usual.

It was his last shift before finals week and the break, and he tapped his pen repeatedly on the counter in front of him as he stared at the clock. He had an hour left, but the hands on the clock were moving at a snail's pace.

"Yeah, maybe if you keep staring at it it'll start moving faster." An annoying voice cut into Eren's daydream about Levi, and Levi's house, and also Levi's cock, but no one needed to know the last part of that.

"Whatever, Horse-face. I'm just counting down the seconds until I can get away from you, you know."

Jean laughed at the come-back. "Don't you have something to occupy your time for the last hour? Or I could give you a blowie."

Eren donned a disgusted look, and Jean chuckled again, "It's not like we haven't been there before, buddy. Besides, I was just kidding. I definitely don't want my mouth on the same place that midget's mouth has been." Jean had met Levi a few weeks before when Levi had come to drop off Eren's sketchpad, so he could work on some homework.

Eren flushed lightly at the statement, but retorted quickly, "He's not that short, and his mouth is rather incredible, thanks."

"TMI, man." Jean turned back to the big bows he was supposed to be making as tree toppers.

"You started it."

"You are the one who basically just gave me details about your sex life with the shorty."

"Stop calling him short."

"Thanks, Babe." Both Eren and Jean whirled around at the sound of the new voice joining the conversation. Levi was somehow standing behind them both and had done so without being seen or heard by either.

"How long have you been standing there?" Eren paled at the thought of what his boyfriend could have heard.

"Long enough."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You defended my height the second time around, but only half-assed the first time." Levi tsked and Eren gulped, knowing he was going to be in huge trouble that night.

"I'm so screwed," Eren mumbled under his breath.

Jean laughed, "literally."

Levi gave him a rather intimidating glare, and Jean decided it would be best to clear out and leave Eren to deal with his boyfriend's wrath alone. He turned quickly and disappeared to organize some aisle on the other end of the store.

Eren watched Jean go then turned back to Levi, who was clearly not happy. "What are you doing here anyways?"

"Well, I was going to sit here and keep you company until the end of your shift and then suggest we go get ice cream or something, but perhaps I'll just head back home after all I just heard." Levi then starts to turn back to the door, and Eren panics.

He grabs hold of Levi's wrist to pull him back to him, and Levi looks back at him with a raised eyebrow. "Wait!" Eren nearly screams when Levi tries to pull away again. "Why? Please stay."

"And why would I do that?" Levi turned to face Eren completely again.

"Because I'm so bored, and I've just been sitting here staring at a clock and thinking about you anyways. I just want this shift to be over, so I can be with you for the next month with hardly any interruption. Please, just stay so I don't have to abandon my last shift just because I want to be with you." Eren legitimately looked like he was going to cry if Levi walked away right then, and that wasn't his intention, so the older male decided against it.

Levi sighed and pulled Eren over to the seats he and Jean were sitting in before and made him sit down. "Fine, but don't think you aren't going to be in trouble later."

Eren slunk down a little in his chair. "What am I in trouble for again?"

Levi gave him a sideways glance from where he was looking at the ribbons and garland laid out on the countertop. "Two things: one, you defended my height half-heartedly, and two, you joked with Jean about him giving you a blow job."

"I did not! I told him no!" Eren retorted, and picked up a piece of garland to start making it into a wreath woven with red ribbon.

"Perhaps, but you still joked about it with him."

"Whatever." Eren went back to his project, accepting his fate for now. "I just can't wait for finals to be over. It'll be nice when it is, and we can go enjoy ourselves."

"I will agree with you there. Now, can you teach me how to make one?" Levi asked, holding up another piece of garland.

Eren smiled widely at him. "Of course I can!"


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey Guys! Here's another chapter for you. This one is pretty fluffy, but be prepared for some serious shit to go down in the next one. Enjoy the fluff while you can! Love you guys! ~HeartQueenVivaldi**

Never Regret

Chapter 17

The alluring scent of spices wafted into the living room from the kitchen where Levi was cooking dinner, and Eren groaned as he put his head down on his notes on the coffee table in front of him. It was finals week, and Lucky Levi had already finished his last final, so was done with everything. Eren, on the other hand, still had three more finals to take between Tuesday and Friday, so was still very caught up in notes and text books, trying to review from the entire semester. He hadn't even had time to see Kim in the last week, let alone have any kind of time to enjoy himself in any other aspect of his life.

The clinking of a plate being set down next to him made him look slightly to his left where Levi was standing next to him. He had just set down a plate of spaghetti, and he was surprisingly going to let Eren eat in the living room. The brunet sat up and pulled the plate in front of him, grabbing the fork given to him, and dug into the pile of noodles smothered in red sauce.

Levi sat down on the floor on the other side of the table from Eren and started to eat, also, but much slower than Eren did. He gave Eren a disgusted look as the younger ate quickly and read some of his notes at the same time. "Why don't you just focus on one at a time?" Levi asked in between bites.

"I hate to say it," Eren spoke through a mouthful of food, "but I don't really have time to just focus on one right now. Maybe when I get through the test tomorrow it'll lighten my load and I won't have to eat and study at the same time anymore." He continued to read the notes in front of him.

"Brat. Then at least slow down so you don't choke." Levi held out a napkin to Eren and continued, "and try to eat cleaner so you don't get sauce on your notes."

Eren took the napkin and wiped his mouth, and, surprisingly, took Levi's advice, slowing down, and not making a mess with his food.

Levi shook his head as he went back to eating in silence, letting Eren read his notes. He had been deprived of his boyfriend's presence, if not physically then socially, since Eren's last shift at the art store, and Levi was sorely missing it. Though he knew these tests were important to Eren, so suffered through it, taking comfort in the fact that it was almost over.

When they had finished eating, Levi took Eren's plate, and returned to the kitchen to wash dishes alone, without the potential of a water and bubble fight, without Eren by his side, and he found himself bored and disappointed that he only had to clean the dishes and put them away quickly.

After doing the dishes he sat on the couch behind Eren with his phone in hand, scrolling through social media apps, but not really paying attention, much less caring about what anyone was doing. He only took a short minute to like some of the pictures Erwin and Hanji had each posted on their pages, but other than that quickly found himself bored with that as well.

He turned the screen off on his phone and laid his head back on the couch and sighed, listening as Eren turned to the next page in his notebook. He let his eyes close for a moment, but wouldn't let himself fall asleep, knowing he didn't sleep much at night as it was. Ultimately, with nothing better to do, he got up and went over to the keyboard, pulling out the bench and plugging the headphones in that were sitting on the music stand. He proceeded to lose himself in music as he often did before Eren came around.

The next time Levi became aware of his surroundings, he removed the headphones from his ears and looked around him, noticing it was nearing midnight, and when his eyes landed on Eren, the younger had fallen asleep with his cheek on his notes. He was breathing heavily, so Levi assumed he had been asleep for a good while at that point. Levi shook his head and turned the keyboard off before going over to Eren to carry him to bed.

When Levi picked him up, he stirred a little only to become like a koala, hugging Levi tightly around the neck as Levi carried him to bed. He laid Eren down in his own room and made him comfortable before removing all but his boxers and squeezing in behind his brat and hugging him from behind. He fell into a comfortable sleep like that.

The next morning, Levi was surprised to find Eren no longer in bed with him. He stood from the bed and went out to the living room, and Eren wasn't there either. Levi shrugged and went about his normal routine. He dressed into his shorts and a tank and went to the gym as usual, and when he returned and showered, Eren was still missing. At this point, Levi couldn't help but begin to worry about his brat, if only a little.

He made breakfast of French toast for the both of them, putting Eren's in the oven to hopefully keep it warm long enough for him to eat it. He was just about finished with his own breakfast when the door unlocked and opened. Eren stumbled through it, coatless and shivering. Levi raised an eyebrow at him, and when Eren spotted him he flashed him a smile and rubbed his hands together for warmth. "Where have you been?"

"I went to take my test. I figured I should just get it over with this morning. I was feeling confident, so I just went with it." He approached Levi and kissed him on the cheek.

Levi pointed toward the oven. "I saved you some French toast. It's in the oven if you want it."

Eren grinned at Levi and kissed him again. "Thanks, Babe." He went to get the meal from the oven and went to sit next to Levi as he ate. "I'm glad I just went and took it, too. I passed with flying colors."

"Congrats," Levi replied as he stood to go wash his plate, "but then I knew you would. I didn't doubt you for a second."

Eren chuckled and replied, "Aw, thanks, babe. One down, two to go."

"So, does this mean you don't have to eat and study at the same time anymore?"

Eren nodded as he shoveled another mouthful of French toast and syrup into his mouth. Levi shook his head and sighed. "Okay, that's great, but you can probably slow down, too." He held out a napkin to the younger as syrup dripped from his bottom lip.

The next two days were spent much like the previous three had been spent: Eren studying and taking his last two tests, and Levi finding ways to occupy himself while Eren did so. Levi could hardly wait until it was all over on Friday, and the two of them could head for the house where Levi would have Eren all to himself for the next two weeks until Christmas and everyone came to stay with them for a few days. Their last break had been highly eventful, and Levi couldn't help but hope that the next one wouldn't be quite so eventful. He hoped for lazing around the house, and spending time with friends and family, and Eren, too of course. He hoped there wouldn't be any more discrimination from certain family members, or anger at him because of past experiences. Or perhaps the other way around. Peace. It's what Levi wanted more than anything over the coming break.

Finally, Friday came around, and Levi waited impatiently while Eren was gone to take his last test. They had packed everything the night before, and they were ready to go. Once Eren returned from his test, they could load the car and leave the dorms, not returning for another month. No real responsibilities for a month was sounding pretty good to both of them.

They would spend the entire month at Levi's house, and Carla and Levi had spent a few hour-long phone calls planning Christmas, and Carla was thrilled to be helping with setup the week before. Levi and Eren had two weeks before that to enjoy the house to themselves though. Eren had suggested a few things they could do during that time. Levi wasn't fond of any of those ideas, but they were all things that Eren wanted to do to learn more about Levi and his past. Levi was reluctant, but he knew he would probably give in anyways. He found himself willing to do almost anything Eren wanted lately. Even if it took some convincing.

The one Eren wanted to do the most was visit Levi's home town. The place he grew up. The place Kenny still lived as far as he was aware. The place he had gotten involved in drugs and other unsavory things with Isabel and Farlan. The place he could find his birth certificate…

That was the last place Levi wanted to visit over the holidays, but knew he would end up going anyways, because Eren wanted to, it wasn't far away from where he currently lived, and he had asked nicely. He knew he would have to face Kenny eventually if he wanted that certificate, he just didn't think it would be so soon. He shortly entertained the idea of trying to go into the house while Kenny was gone but gave up that thought quickly. His uncle kept all documents like that locked away in a safe. To make things worse, he kept the safe in a locked, concrete room in the basement with a bullet-proof metal door. The best, or worst, part was Kenny only had one key to that room, and he kept it on him at all times. Levi would never get that on his own. He had no choice. He would be facing Kenny, and that moment was creeping close by the day.

Levi was pulled from his musings by the door unlocking and opening to Eren grinning at him. He closed the door and walked over to where Levi had sat down at the piano bench in the middle of his pacing and anxious thoughts. Levi stood as he approached, and Eren pulled him into a tight embrace. "I got a 99 on the test. I've officially finished, and I'm done. We are free men!" He kissed Levi on the lips enthusiastically.

Levi returned the kiss with less enthusiasm, but still with passion. "Well done, Eren. I'm proud of you. I knew you could do it."

Eren cocked his head to the side a little. "What's wrong, Levi?" he asked.

Levi smiled a little at his astute observation. Few people would have been able to tell Levi had something on his mind, but Eren, the little minx, did. It made Levi glad to have Eren around, but at the same time, he knew he would never be able to hide anything from him. "Nothing. I've just been thinking."

"About what?" Eren replied. "You don't seem very happy about it, whatever it is. It's not something I did is it? You still want to spend the break with me, right?" Eren started to panic, overthinking a little as usual.

Levi pulled Eren in for another kiss. "Don't go there. Of course, I still want to spend the break with you. You aren't the issue. Kenny is, as usual."

"What had you thinking about Kenny?" Eren asked, concerned, as he pulled Levi over to the couch to sit down next to him.

Levi leaned into Eren's shoulder. "I was thinking about your request to see where I grew up. Such a thing doesn't exactly bring good memories to mind."

Eren stayed silent, letting Levi think for a minute and not knowing what to say. He eventually changed the topic altogether. "Well, let's not think about that yet. I do want to go, but it doesn't have to be today, or even this week, or at all if you really don't want to. For now, why don't we load up the car and head out? We can get to the house and sit in the hot tub, or the bathtub, have steamy sex in a giant, comfy, king-size bed, or whatever else you want to do. Sound good?"

Levi chuckled and leaned over to kiss Eren on the cheek sweetly. "Yeah, sounds good." They got up off the couch and each took two duffle bags over their shoulders. Levi walked through the apartment to make sure they got everything they needed and to shut all the lights off before following Eren out the door and locking it behind them.

They threw their things into the trunk and climbed into the front seats. "How long of a drive did you say this would be?" Eren asked as he buckled himself in.

"About four hours." Levi pushed the button to start the car.

Eren nodded and did the honors of turning the stereo on and connecting his phone so he could play DJ on the way there. Levi let him and pulled out of the parking lot.

On the way to the house, they stopped for lunch about half way, but didn't stop otherwise. They sang and danced along to the music Eren chose and enjoyed the ride until they reached the town where Levi's house was located. Levi pulled off the freeway, and almost immediately into a grocery store. "You get to come with me this time," Levi responded to Eren's questioning glance, referring to Thanksgiving break when they had last visited Levi's house.

Eren laughed, "Okay, I don't mind as long as I get to pick some of the food we get."

Levi nodded and stepped out of the car. "Fine, then I get to pay for all of it."

Eren's jaw dropped as he looked at Levi over the top of the car. "No way! I should pay for at least half; besides, my family is the one coming to stay."

Levi shook his head, walking into the store at a brisk pace, "not for two more weeks. Just let me pay, please. You and your mom can help pay for stuff when they come to stay. They can even have food assignments, but I want to do this."

Eren sighed in defeat, following Levi into the grocery store. "Fine, but this is a one-time thing, got it?"

Levi chuckled a little and nodded, knowing it wouldn't be one time, but agreeing for the time being to get Eren to go along with it.

They survived their grocery store trip, though not without bickering and arguing along the way about what kinds of food to get, and soon were back in the car and on the last stretch to the house. As Levi turned left into the neighborhood Eren asked a question: "How far is it to your home town from here?"

Levi thought about it. He hadn't made that trip in quite a few years, so wasn't completely sure. "I think it's about two hours. Three at max."

Eren nodded but didn't ask any more questions about it. Levi pulled the car into the driveway and pushed the button to open the garage door. When the car was parked, and the garage door was shut they went around to the trunk to retrieve their bags and the groceries. It took them a few trips to take it all into the house and put everything away, but by the time three o'clock they had everything done and were ready to start their vacation.

Eren opened his mouth to suggest they strip and hang out in the hot tub, but Levi cut him off before he could say the first word. "Before we have the fun I know we are both dying to have, this place is filthy, and we need to do a little cleaning first."

Eren pouted at Levi's words. "Aww, but Levi, I wanted to sit in the hot tub, naked, with you," Eren whined at the older male.

"We can," Levi said, and he cupped Eren's cheeks with his hands. "Later." He patted Eren's right cheek and kissed him quickly on the mouth. "Right now, we need to do just a little dusting, and at least put the sheets in the washing machine. We can get to some more of the deep cleaning tomorrow, but something needs to happen right now. Okay? Then we can sit in the hot tub in all our naked glory to your hearts content."

Eren continued to pout a little but sighed in defeat. He knew Levi wouldn't sit still until they did a little cleaning, so he reluctantly agreed. "Fine but dusting and the sheets is all we are going to do."

"Fine. That's what I care about for now." Levi set Eren to work up in the master bedroom, changing the sheets, and making sure the rest of the room was dusted and cleaned to Levi's standards. Because that was the room they would be sleeping in, Levi was adamant that at least their room be clean from the start.

Eren started with the sheets, taking them off the king-size bed and throwing them in the laundry machine. While the sheets were washing, he dusted the night stands, the small entertainment center across from the bed, and the dresser in the closet, and he hung their clothes and put their duffel bags away. He moved into the bathroom to do a quick cleaning of the shower, bathtub, double sink, toilet, and mop the tile. Once that was done he was able to change the sheets over to the dryer and go find Levi.

He found Levi at the piano in the sitting room in the front of the house. He wasn't playing it, but rather dusting and polishing it. He looked up when he heard Eren enter the room. "Are you finished in the bedroom?"

Eren nodded, and Levi went back to polishing the lid of the piano. "Are you done with the dusting everywhere else?" Eren asked and approached Levi.

"Yeah. I'm just finishing up with the piano, and I'll be done."

"Then we can sit in the hot tub and relax for the rest of the day?"

Levi sighed, but smiled a little at Eren's enthusiasm. "Yes, but don't forget that tomorrow we will be doing some real cleaning. Not just this light, on the surface stuff. I haven't been here for an extended period of time in over 4 months, so just looking around makes me cringe."

Eren found out the next day that Levi wasn't kidding at all. They had enjoyed their first day there as promised, sitting in the hot tub, making simple yet delicious dinner, and cuddling on the couch while watching TV after a long, hot shower together. But when all of that was over, and they had eaten breakfast on morning number one in Levi's house, they moved on to Levi's idea of deep cleaning. He had Eren in the kitchen, wiping out cupboards and countertops, washing dishes, and mopping the tile floors. In the meantime, Levi took on the job of vacuuming the living and sitting rooms, the dining room, and every single bedroom in the house. He left most of the bedrooms alone, besides vacuuming, in favor of waiting for Carla and Grandma Ella to help clean them, and instead worked in the main areas of the house. He mopped the hardwood floor in the dining room, cleaned the couches with a leather cleaner, dusted off pictures, washed the back windows, and cleaned his office from top to bottom. Then came the real task. He and Eren spent a large majority of the day cleaning and dusting the library. Eren was in charge of cleaning off and dusting the shelves and the books, and Levi did the rest, including cleaning the couch and coffee table in the middle of the room and cleaning the window that looked out over the back yard.

The entire time the two of them cleaned, they bickered and argued in the teasing way that they do. Eren decided that cleaning with Levi wasn't so bad when they did it like that: together and having fun while doing it. Until Eren realized something that made him pale just a little bit. Levi noticed Eren's change in mood, and he approached where he was cleaning the last shelf. "What's wrong?"

"Well, I may have just realized we aren't done yet."

"What do you mean?" Levi asked and Eren stood from where he had been on the floor, putting books back on the shelf.

"We haven't even started in the basement." Eren almost hated to point it out.

Levi shrugged. "No big deal. I think the only thing I want to do is the game room down there for now, and it won't take long. It's mostly just vacuuming and dusting. It is probably the easiest room to clean. We can be done in fifteen minutes. Thirty tops."

Eren exhaled in relief. "Good. I don't even want to imagine what it would be like to clean the theater room with all of those leather chairs… ugh, and the shelves... With movies on them…"

"Start imagining it, Eren, because we will be cleaning it eventually." Eren groaned and collapsed into Levi. Levi held him up and chuckled in his ear. "Hey, it's not that bad. This is the worst room to clean, and it's already done. The hard part is over. Now we just have to keep up on it while we are here. And we can visit a lot more for spring semester. There's a lot more breaks, so this won't be nearly as bad ever again. The best part is, we can recruit your mom and grandma to help us with absolutely everything else."

Eren stood up straight again. "Yeah, I guess that's true. Hey, speaking of Grandma. Are you going to allow Bear to stay here when she comes?"

Levi looked a little deflated. "I forgot about the dog. I'm not a fan of pets, Eren."

"But Bear goes everywhere with Grandma! He has to come. And besides, he's a goldendoodle. He doesn't shed!" Eren gave Levi a pleading look.

Levi finally gave in to Eren's puppy dog eyes and sighed in resignation. "Fine, the dog can come, but there will be rules for him. He doesn't just get free reign here like he does at your parents' house."

Eren laughed, "That's fine. He'll do what you say he has to. Grandma will make sure of it." The two of them cleaned up their supplies and went to clean the last room that Levi insisted they clean for the moment. As Eren started dusting the tv stand with the game consoles and television, he hummed to himself a little, and Levi heard him murmur, "I'm so excited. This is going to be so fun this year." The quiet thought made Levi almost excited and happy that he had decided to go along with this.

It had been a long time since he had had more than three people in the house, and he found himself ready to be willing to do so for the first time since Isabel and Farlan's deaths. Isabel and Farlan were always the ones willing to host Christmas and throw some kind of party every year around the holidays. He always went along with it at the time, but never found the same joy in it that they did. He never imagined that years later he would find himself missing the company in their large house.

Levi sighed. He still thought of it as their house, but it was really just his. The new thoughts made his brow knit, and his eyes narrow to stop the threat of unbidden tears, but he was quickly pulled from his somber thoughts by Eren, humming away while he cleaned off an old Nintendo 64 console. Perhaps the large, empty house wouldn't be so empty any more. He had Eren, and Eren's family had somehow become his own. Not to mention Mikasa, who was true, blood family that he actually got along with. He didn't have many of those. He had one other, but… chances of seeing him were low. It had been six years since the last time they saw each other. "Brothers." Levi mumbled low and irritated.

True to his word, Levi and Eren finished cleaning the game room in twenty quick minutes and were back to enjoying winter break. They cuddled up under a blanket on the couch in the living room upstairs to watch a movie, and Levi let his mind wander.

He had come a long way in the last ten years. From graduating high school at 16 and getting away from Kenny, to meeting Isabel and Farlan, getting involved in drugs, cleaning up their act, going to school, and everything after that. Levi went from young punk prone to getting in fights, to mature adult that had been through hell and back. He had some truly amazing days, but he had also hit rock bottom. He finally started to feel like his life was going to even out. Get better. After everything that happened to him. He was ready to move on from the sadness and anger that had consumed his life up to that point. He was ready to face the past so that he could leave it behind for good. He wasn't sure if he had the courage to do it, but he was ready to try. "Hey Eren. I know what we should do tomorrow." He was ready to face Kenny.


	18. Chapter 18

**HI! I know! Two chapters in less than a week? what is this madness? I'm not sure, either. I just had a rush of ideas for this story, and I'm way excited to see it through, so I will probably be updating a lot in the next few weeks. Good luck with this chapter, it's one of my shorter ones, but it's good, with a little bit of angst. We finally get to see a little of Levi's younger years, and you start to hear more about some important people in Levi's life, including a certain brother. Eric will probably become a bigger part of the story in the next two chapters, maybe three, depending on where my writing takes me. Okay, i'll stop rambling now. Enjoy, and don't forget to review! Loves! ~HeartQueenVivaldi**

Never Regret

Chapter 18

Levi and Eren were quiet as they sat in the Audi. They were almost there, and Levi had gotten progressively more nervous the closer they came. He eventually turned the music off, and Eren sat in silence on his side of the car, watching out for his boyfriend as Levi nervously drummed his fingers on the steering wheel.

They pulled off the freeway, and Levi spoke quietly, "welcome to my home town, Eren." His voice shook slightly, and a single bead of sweat ran down the side of his face from his temple. He wiped it away with the sleeve of his jacket and continued to drive slowly through the town. It was an old town, and some parts seemed a bit run-down, but for the most part it seemed like any other small town on the weekend. There were kids riding bikes on the sidewalks and in the streets, and women walking around, running errands. There were classic, one-seat barber shops, and oldie-but-goodie bars. Eren's first impression of the town was like it was Mayberry, straight out of the Andy Griffith's show. "This is Karanes. It's old but considered a great place to live. A lot of new families come here to start out. It's safe… for most people anyways…"

Eren reached out to hold Levi's hand as he looked around out the tinted window. Levi drove slow enough that Eren could get a good idea of what the town was like. Levi pointed out places he thought were significant, like his three schools he attended, the park he would escape to when Kenny was angry or drunk, the building where he had his first apartment, or anything else that held memories, good or bad.

Eventually Levi turned into a small neighborhood lined with really old houses. None of them were well taken care of, and many of them were most likely uninhabited with windows boarded up, and front doors falling off their hinges. "This is the ghetto part of town. The worst neighborhood in the area. It's the neighborhood I grew up in. Most of the houses you see no longer hold people and can't for various reasons. Only three or four houses on this street actually still house live people. One of them is Kenny's."

Levi pulled the car over to the side of the road and put it in park. He looked to his left and swallowed thickly. On the other side of the road was a house that looked just as abandoned as some of the others on the street. What gave it away as inhabited was the windows all being intact, and someone had shoveled the driveway from a recent snow fall in the area. "It hasn't changed much, that's for sure."

Eren felt Levi squeeze his hand a little harder as he looked out the window. "I haven't been back here in over ten years now… and Kenny's not even there…"

Eren looked out over to the house. "How do you know?"

"He drives a red truck that doesn't fit in the garage. He has to park it outside."

Sure enough, there was no truck to be seen, but tire tracks could be found in the muddy snow on the side of the house. "Where would he be. Do you think he works?"

"I doubt it. He never worked. He made his money by cheating while gambling in the bar on main street. Always won just enough money to buy a little food."

"So, he's probably at the bar, then." Eren deduced, and Levi nodded. "Why don't we go get something to eat. I'm getting a little hungry, anyways. We can come back here later."

"Okay." Levi sighed and let go of Eren's hand to put the car in drive again. They pulled out of the neighborhood, and Levi took them back to the main street. He parked the car on the road in front of a deli, and they went inside.

It was warm inside the building, and Eren and Levi took their coats off. Eren followed Levi's actions when he hung his coat up on a rack by the front door. They approached the counter, and a kind looking, older woman turned around to greet them. She looked a little confused at first when she turned around, probably expecting someone she knew. Instead of smiling and continuing like most people would with an unknown customer, this woman moved around the counter and approached Levi. She got right up in his face, and he let her, surprisingly enough to Eren. He eventually sighed and spoke up, "Hello, Nanaba."

The woman's eyes widened, and Levi shook his head. "Levi." She breathed, and he nodded. "Oh my gosh! LEVI! I can hardly believe what I'm seeing!"

"Believe it. I'm here." The woman reacted so fast that neither Eren nor Levi could counter-react. She pulled Levi in for a crushing hug, and he eventually had to pry her arms off of him, so he could breathe. The woman, Nanaba, squealed in delight before kissing him firmly on the forehead. Only after doing so did she return to her place behind the counter.

"Well, don't be a stranger, Levi. Tell me how you've been! Who is this young man you've brought with you? Where's your brother? What's he been up to? What…"

Levi stopped her rambling. "Nanaba. Slow down. I'll answer your questions, but please, one at a time." Nanaba mumbled a quick apology but didn't look very apologetic. Eren chuckled at her as Levi started answering her questions. "This is Eren. He's my boyfriend." He introduced Eren first, and Eren shook her hand. Levi continued answering her questions, "I've been fine. I've had some ups and downs, and some downright awful days, but I'm doing well now. I haven't seen Eric in six years, so I have no idea where he's at or what he's been up to, but he sends me a birthday gift every year, so I guess he still thinks about me occasionally. And if you were going to ask what I'm doing here, the answer is simple. I'm here to see Kenny."

Nanaba's jaw dropped. "No way. Oh, honey. We all know he never treated you two well, so why would you come back to see him? We figured we'd never see either of you again after you finally got out of here."

"Who's 'we'?" It was Levi's turn to ask a question.

"Oh, just me and a few of the other people in town. Now answer the question, Levi. Why did you come to see Kenny?"

"I need a few things from him. He still has some of my important documents. You know, birth certificate, immunization records, and I really think he still has my social security card, too. I just need a few of those things."

"What on earth do you need a birth certificate for now? The only thing you really need something like that for is, well, marriage. Or traveling out of the country, but you can even do that without a birth certificate these days. Wait…" Nanaba looked back and forth between Eren and Levi for a minute, and Levi stopped her before she could blurt something crazy.

"Not even close, Nanaba. We aren't getting married. We just started dating a month ago. We aren't there yet. Not for a long time."

Nanaba looked a little let down at the news but went right back to smiling like she did before. "Well, then why now?"

"It's time I stop being afraid of my past, of Kenny. I need to do this, so I can really move on. I feel like this is a big step for me, and I'm ready to take it, so here I am. And Eren was kind enough to come with me."

"Well then, he's one hell of a good boyfriend if he's willing to face Hell with you, or Kenny's wrath. Same difference."

Levi started to look nervous again. "So, he hasn't changed then, I guess?"

Nanaba looked sorry for Levi at that moment. "I'm sorry to say he hasn't. He's still the town alcoholic. And cheat. And asshole. One of the only ones we got, too."

Levi shook his head. "Well, then it's time to get this over with so we can all move on with our lives. We'll be headed over to his house later. He wasn't there a few minutes ago, so we'll try again later. If not, I guess I'll just have to go find him in the bar with his stupid, gambling friends."

"Good luck with that, Honey. Let me know if you need anything, okay?" Levi nodded to let her know that he would. "Good. Now, I'm sure you came here to eat, not just to hear me ramble at you. What can I get for you two? Get whatever you want, it's on the house."

"Oh, no. You don't need to do that. I can afford to pay for our lunches."

Eren piped up, "Oh, he definitely can." Levi gave him a look, and he shrugged.

"I don't care if you can or not. I said it's on the house, so it is, now pick what you're gonna eat." Nanaba was ready to get feisty with it, so Levi simply consented and ordered them each a BLT and a soda. Nanaba sent them away and made it herself. She brought the meals out to their table when it was ready, and left them to eat in peace while she made more sandwiches for people who just walked in.

Eren and Levi talked while they ate. Mostly Levi answering Eren's questions, which he seemed to have many of. "Was your first job here in this town?"

"Yes. I worked here, believe it or not. Nanaba taught me everything I know about cooking. She might own a deli and sandwich shop, but she's the best cook I've ever met in my life. In fact, this bread you're eating," Levi held up his sandwich, "is totally homemade."

"No way. It's amazing."

They continued to keep light conversation, and Eren tried to keep Levi's mind off of Kenny for as long as possible. Sadly, after an hour of sitting around the deli and talking, Levi made them get up to go see if Kenny was back yet.

They arrived back at the neighborhood, in front of the old house, with no sign of the truck having returned. Levi shook his head, and dry-washed his face. "I would rather face him here than at the bar, so there's one more thing we can do to stall a little longer. There's someone else I would like to see that was a good friend of mine back in high school."

Levi pulled out of the neighborhood again, and this time drove towards one of the nicer neighborhoods in the area. He stopped at a house, and left the car running. "Stay here, I'll be right back." Levi got out of the car and walked up to the front door of the house on Eren's right. He knocked, and a man answered. They talked for a minute, and Levi came back to the car.

"What was that about," Eren asked.

"That's her father. I needed to find out where she lives now. She still lives in town, lucky enough."

"Who is this girl?"

"Her name is Petra. I don't really know what she does now days, but she was super smart, and we always got along nicely. She was one of the only real friends I had."

"Sounds nice." Levi nodded, and they pulled into another neighborhood.

This time, when Levi pulled the car over, he turned it off, and beckoned for Eren to go with him. They walked up to the front door of a cute, little, red-brick house with blue shutters, and a green door. It was charming, and Eren felt like he was walking towards not just a house, but a home. Levi rang the doorbell, and squealing could be heard from the inside of the house, but not like a girl squealing. It came from a young child.

The door opened not too long after that to reveal a short, even shorter than Levi, woman with strawberry blonde hair, and a very pregnant stomach that made her look like she would lose balance any moment and fall forward. When she saw Levi her face lit up, and she grinned. "Levi!" She practically yelled. "Oluo! Come here! It's Levi!" She yelled into the house. "Come in, come in." She gestured for Levi and Eren to enter the house. They did. "Come on, make yourselves comfortable. Can I get you something to drink?"

A tall, blond man came around the corner, "Petra, dearest, please sit down. I will get them something to drink if they would like it. You need to rest." He turned to face Levi. "It's good to see you, Levi." They shook hands, and the man, Oluo, made Petra, Levi, and Eren move to sit in the living room.

Levi asked for water for him and Eren, and Oluo went to retrieve it while they talked with Petra. Levi introduced Eren, and Petra asked many of the same questions that Nanaba had earlier. But then it was Levi's turn for questions. "So, how's life been for you? I know you already have at least one kid, since I heard them? And now, you seem to have at least one more on the way."

Petra laughed, "Oh, yes. We have two children already. Boys. Gunther and Eld. They keep me on my toes. They are already 6 and 4. It's hard to believe. I have two more on the way."

"Twins." Levi stated.

"Yep. One girl and one boy. We don't really have names picked out just yet. I have actually been meaning to see if I could call you somehow and get ahold of you. We decided we want to name the boy after you, if that's alright." Levi looked taken aback, and he pointed to himself. Petra nodded, and Levi's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "We thought for sure using your name as a middle name, but possibly as a first name depending on a few things."

"Why me?" Levi asked.

"Because you're a strong person, Levi. You really are, and he would be lucky to be half as strong as you. And I don't mean physically. I know I'm one of the only people who knows what you and Eric went through and saw it first-hand. I was always impressed by you, and by your courage to get through each day."

Levi let a soft smile rest on his face. "It wasn't easy."

"I never said it was."

Levi thought about it for a minute before answering, "if you must, I won't stop you."

Petra beamed at him, "Oh, yes. We must."

Levi rolled his eyes at her but smiled at her fondly. They continued to talk and catch up for a short while. They exchanged numbers with promises to keep each other in the loop, and nearly two hours after arriving, Levi and Eren were walking back out the door with two young boys on their heels, begging their mom to make the two men stay longer to play with them. Levi and Eren promised to come back to play with them another day and climbed back into the car.

They drove away smiling. Levi was glad he took the time to see an old friend. It relaxed him, but as they approached the old neighborhood once again, Levi's smile faded. It was time. There was no more stalling. It was getting late, and they didn't have time to make any more house calls. It was time to do what they came here to do. They would find Kenny, they had to.

They pulled up to the curb for the third time that day, and Levi's heart started to pound. Kenny's old, beat-up, red truck was in the driveway, and the light in the living room was on. He gripped Eren's hand in an iron grip after turning the car off. "You don't have to come with me."

"I want to." Eren responded.

"I don't want you to get hurt."

"Are you saying you wouldn't protect me, or that I can't protect myself, or both?"

"I don't know. None, I suppose." Levi swallowed thickly. "Let's just get this over with." He let go of Eren's hand to climb out of the car. Eren came around to Levi's side of the car, and they walked across the street together. They climbed the rickety wooden steps, Levi took a deep breath, and he knocked solidly on the wood door three times.

There was silence from the other side for a long while, and Levi was about to knock again when he heard grumbling on the other side of the door, then a slurred, drunk, "Who is it?" Levi didn't answer but knocked again. The same voice replied, "yeah, yeah, I'm comin'. Give a drunk guy a second."

Levi tensed at the word drunk, and Eren squeezed his hand for a second to help ground him. There was some fumbling with the handle, the porch light turned on, and the door creaked open just a little. It stayed like that for another second, then opened the rest of the way. On the other side was a tall man with black hair, and eyes that looked a lot like Levi's, just a little bigger. He had on a cowboy hat, but it was a little askew in his drunkenness. He had probably three days of scruffy stubble on his chin, and he reeked of alcohol. The smell came at Eren and Levi in a wave that made Eren want to gag. Levi was used to it.

The man smirked when he saw Levi, and Eren could feel him tense again, but didn't dare to touch him with his worst nightmare in full view. "Well, well, well. Look what we have here. My runt of a nephew has returned to see his poor, drunkard uncle."

Levi cleared his throat and steeled himself. "I'm not here for you, Kenny."

"Then watcha here for?" He lifted his right hand, and he held a bottle in it. Levi didn't answer right away, and before Eren could even see what had happened, Kenny had flipped the bottle upside down, broken it on the door frame, and was holding the jagged end at Levi's throat. Eren gasped quietly, but Levi didn't even bat an eye. "I asked what you were here for, you little runt. Now answer me."

"I came to get the last of my things." Levi answered.

"There's nothing left of yours here. You took it all with you. Besides, even if there was anything left, what would you need it for now? Ten years later?"

"No, Kenny. I'm not here for stupid possessions. I'm here for documents. Birth Certificate, Immunization records, and anything else you have of mine, or my mother's that should belong to me. And don't try to tell me she had nothing for me and Eric. I know there is."

Kenny seemed to grow progressively angrier as Levi spoke, especially as he mentioned his mother. He lowered the bottle, "Don't you dare mention my whore of a sister in front of me." He swung the bottle, and Levi reacted faster than a bolt of lightning. He pushed Eren out of range and ducked. He moved up under Kenny's arm, and lifted it up and out of harms way. He grasped hard onto Kenny's wrist and twisted it so that Kenny dropped the glass, and it shattered as it hit the deck. Levi twisted the wrist again, and within seconds he had Kenny pinned on the floor in the living room.

"You're too slow when you're drunk, Kenny." He looked around, and Eren was standing in the doorway in shock. He turned back to look down at Kenny beneath him. "Where is the key to the safe? I need those documents."

"I don't have any documents of yours."

Levi's face contorted in anger. "Then where the hell are they? I sure as hell have never had them. If you sold them, or have done anything unsavory with them, I swear to God I will string you up, right here and now."

Kenny didn't say anything, and Levi pushed his knee into the small of Kenny's back, making him cry out in pain. Levi might have been small, but he was close to 160 pounds of pure muscle. "Speak, Kenny. Where are they?"

Levi pushed a little harder and Kenny rambled desperately. "Okay, okay. Just stop. Don't break my back."

Levi let up just enough to relieve some of the pressure. "Okay, now tell me where my crap is. What have you done?"

"Eric came by a few weeks ago. He took everything, including your papers, and everything that belonged to your mom."

Levi blinked down at Kenny in surprise. "What?"

"You heard me, boy. Now, get off me," Kenny grunted.

Levi took a gun out of a holster on Kenny's hip, and stood up, saying, "so you don't get any ideas about trying to kill me again."

Kenny stood on wobbly legs, and Levi backed away, pointing the gun at his uncle. "I want you to show me the safe. I want to see that you're not lying."

Kenny sighed and took a key from his back pocket. He walked away and motioned for Levi to follow. Levi signaled Eren to follow, and they did. Kenny opened a door in the kitchen that lead down a flight of wooden stairs and flipped on a light switch. They descended the stairs behind Kenny, and he led them to a metal door that he opened with the key. Levi still had his gun pointed at his head and stopped him. "Stay there. Stay away from the safe, I don't want you getting your hands on any more guns. You and I will stay here, and Eren here will open the safe."

He turned to Eren, "can you do that?" Eren nodded timidly. "Good, go inside, and Kenny will tell you the password."

Eren did as he was told, and Levi looked at Kenny expectantly. Kenny scowled at him, "122592". Levi cocked his head to the side a little, and began to lower the gun, now aiming at the man's stomach where it would no longer be lethal if he had to use it.

"Why those numbers?" Levi asked.

"Think about it for a minute, and I'm sure you'll figure it out." Kenny responded.

Eren rifled through the safe and called out to Levi. "There really is nothing in here. Just a few hundred dollars, guns, ammo, and his own paperwork. Nothing here is yours or Eric's. He was telling the truth."

Levi looked over to Eren standing in front of the open safe in disbelief. "Really?"

Kenny snickered, "Why do you always think I gotta lie to you. I tell the truth quite often. You're always surprised."

Levi took two steps toward Kenny and held the gun against his stomach. "Do you blame me? Even a little? Look at how you've treated me, back then, and even today. You're an asshole. Nothing more, nothing less. I'm surprised I'm alive after everything you've put me through in my life."

Kenny stayed quiet, and Eren closed the safe and the big metal door. Levi signaled for Kenny to lead them back upstairs, and the three of them returned to the living room. Levi kept the gun until he was between Kenny and the still-open front door, and Eren was back outside. "You really are nothing but a piece of shit, Kenny."

"Call me whatever you want, you know there's more to me than what you've seen."

Levi rolled his eyes, released the magazine into his open palm, and emptied the chamber. He put the gun down on the table by the door and turned away from his uncle. "I'm done with you Kenny. You no longer serve a purpose in my life, and I'm going to move on now. I'm not going to let the past consume me anymore." He stepped out onto the porch in the crisp December air, and closed the door behind him. Eren was standing on the bottom step, looking up at him.

Levi looked back at the door and bent down to place the magazine and the extra bullet on the step. He turned back to Eren and walked away. Eren held out his arms, and Levi leaned forward from the last steps to fall into them. He was shaking slightly, and Eren could tell he was still scared. He whispered into his older boyfriend's ear, "you did it." Levi nodded, and let out a shaky exhale into Eren's shoulder.

When Levi's feet touched the ground again, he took Eren's hand, and led them both back to the car. When they were both settled in their seats again, and the car was started, Levi took one last look at the house he grew up in. "I hope I never have to come back here again."

"You shouldn't need to. There's nothing left for you here, and now you know it." Levi nodded his agreement, put the car in gear, and drove away. After sitting in silence for a minute, and once they were on the freeway, Eren asked a question that had been nagging at him. "What is the significance of 122592?"

"The safe combination?" Levi asked, and Eren nodded. "It's my birthday… December 25, 1992"

"Why would he use your birthday as the combination?"

Levi shrugged. "I guess I'll never really know."

Eren nodded his head, and Levi waited for the realization to kick in, and for the questions to roll in. Sure enough, about two minutes later, it hit, and Eren gasped. "Wait! Your birthday is on Christmas?!"

Levi chuckled. "Took you long enough, but yes, it is."

"Oh my gosh, we have to do something on your birthday! I didn't even know! I need to get you a gift, and I'll definitely be telling my mom about it." Eren rambled as he thought.

Levi stopped him. "You don't need to do anything for me, Eren. I'll be perfectly happy just being with you and your family and my friends for my birthday. That's all I need."

"Maybe, but we are still going to do something extra, and there's nothing you can say that will stop me."

"Whatever you say, babe." Levi gave in, and Eren started to ramble about his ideas for what to do for Levi, and Levi tuned him out to let his mind wander. He learned a lot of things today. He learned that he had more friends than he previously thought, including Petra and Oluo and their kids, and even Nanaba. He also hadn't bargained on hearing that Eric had taken the initiative in retrieving both of their possessions from Kenny, or that Kenny, for whatever reason, actually had a soft spot for Levi, if that combination was anything to go by.

Levi would never find it in him to really forgive his uncle, but at least now he could relax knowing he would never have to face him again, and that Kenny, as horrible of a person he is, couldn't bring himself to do anything worse to Levi or Eric than he had already done. That much Levi was sure of. He was also sure that Kenny had taken it easy on him today. Had he wanted to cut Levi with that bottle, he could have, drunk or not. He could have taken out both him and Eren without breaking a sweat and done whatever he wanted, but for whatever reason, he hadn't.

As for Eric, Levi wasn't sure why he had done what he had. Why he had taken the time to track down Kenny and retrieve both of their important documents and their mother's possessions. Why he had faced Kenny, and probably alone. He had Eric's number, but hadn't used it in almost five years. He hadn't needed to, or even wanted to. But now, things had changed. Perhaps it was time to talk to his brother.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hi! I'm here! and in a timely manner this time around... sort of... well, better than usual, that is. I have your new chapter, and Eric finally comes into play! Woo hoo! I hope you all enjoy. By the way, I have that smut chapter I promised you in progress. Remember the one that goes with Levi and Eren's first time? Yeah, I totally forgot about that until I went back to read some stuff in a previous chapter, and I saw my notes. Haha... oops... But it's in progress, so be looking for it. I will probably post it as a separate story before I post the next chapter here. If your interested, follow my profile for updates on new stories so you don't miss it! I'll let you read now. Happy reading! And don't forget to review! loves ~HeartQueenVivaldi**

Never Regret

Chapter 19

A week and a half into winter break, and Levi sat on the couch, hanging his head back, and his phone held loosely in his right hand. Eren had gone to pick up his grandma with Levi's car a few hours earlier (she and Carla had volunteered to come early to help clean the guest rooms) and would be back soon, but for the moment, Levi was alone. He never minded being alone, but today was a little different.

He held the phone up over his head where he could see it and turned the screen on. When it unlocked with his fingerprint, his brother's face was staring back at him. All he had to do was press the little green button on the bottom of the screen, hold the phone to his ear, and speak. So, why was it so hard? He didn't know, but figured it had something to do with the fact that he hadn't seen Eric in so long, much less spoken to him.

Challenge number one was over. He had done it. It was the hardest thing he would ever do. Eric wasn't Kenny. Not even close. Talking to his brother should have been easy in comparison. But no matter how much he tried to convince himself of that fact, he couldn't bring himself to believe it.

Eric was his brother, the brother that practically raised him in place of a parent, or a certain uncle that was never around. He cared about Levi. He still sent him gifts on his birthday and Christmas. Two separate gifts. He was one of the only people who separated his birthday from the major holiday. He was always there for Levi in the past whenever Levi needed him… except that one time. The one time he needed his brother most, and he wasn't there.

Perhaps that was what held Levi back from pushing that little green button. Maybe it was that the last time Levi tried to call him, he didn't answer. Maybe it was that one of the last times he saw Eric, he was drunk and high as a kite. Maybe it was because of that one time as a kid when Eric convinced him to participate in some rather unsavory activities with him. Maybe it was because Levi felt he couldn't completely trust Eric, not any more.

Finally, Levi sighed and came to a decision. No matter what Eric had done in the past, Levi was always bound to forgive him, and give him another chance. In the end, Eric would always be Levi's brother, and the only brother he would ever have. That was something Levi wasn't willing to lose.

He tapped the screen over the green circle and watched the line connect and start the call. He held the phone to his ear and waited, hearing the rhythmic ring of the speaker in his ear. The fourth ring began, and Levi was ready to hang up, thinking Eric wouldn't answer, but at the last second, he heard a click, some shuffling, and a grumbled "Hello."

Levi took a steadying breath, and said quietly, "Eric."

He heard a grunt on the other end. "Who is this?"

"You're a piece of work. Seriously? You're going to ask me that?" Levi was ready to hang up in annoyance. "Never mind. I shouldn't have bothered or wasted my time."

"Wait, wait. Levi. Don't go."

"I'm here." Levi paused, waiting for Eric to explain.

"I didn't know it was you. You haven't called in so long, and I had to get a new phone a few years ago. I lost all of my contacts." Levi could hear some shuffling on the other end, and a few muted grumbles that didn't come from Eric.

"Who's with you, Eric?" Levi listened for more sounds from the other end, but he heard nothing for a moment.

"That's my boyfriend."

"You have a boyfriend?" Levi asked in disbelief. "I though you said you were just a one-night-stand kind of guy."

Eric chuckled. "I was, until I met Cory. I was a lot of things until I met Cory. A drunk, druggie, thug, criminal, you name it, until I met Cory. Sometimes certain people convince you to change."

Levi rolled his eyes. "If you're going to try to convince me that you haven't been drinking or doing drugs, I'll tell you now, I don't believe you."

"Light, occasional, social drinking only, and no drugs. Almost three years now, brother. Believe it or not, it's the truth." Eric responded.

Levi didn't quite know if he should believe the older Ackerman, but he shook his head. Eric had done a lot of things, but one thing he had never done was lie, especially to Levi. This conversation was already causing mixed emotions to swirl in Levi.

"Okay, I still don't know if I believe that, but let me cut to the chase. I went to see Kenny last week." Levi wasn't about to sugar coat what he was about to say.

"What for? What happened?" Eric asked, suddenly sounding more like the protective older brother he had been when they were kids.

"I wanted to get my documents from the safe. You know what he said?" Levi sat up and leaned over, resting his elbows on his knees.

"I went to get the documents about a month ago. Yours and mine. He told you that, I have no doubt about that, and I have them in my own safe. I wanted to visit you for your birthday this year and bring them to you, so you wouldn't have to face him yourself. There goes that surprise. What made you decide to go there? You don't need any of those at the moment, do you?"

"Not yet. I just wanted to get it over with. I knew I would have to do it one day anyways." Levi sighed, relaxing at hearing that Eric had the documents stowed away in a safe place.

"He didn't do anything to hurt you, did he? I swear, Levi, I'll kill him if he hurt you." Eric sounded angry, and Levi chuckled, relaxing even more at the old banter between him and his brother. He felt safe talking to Eric.

"He tried, but I can take care of myself these days. He was smashed, so I was able to take him out pretty easy."

Eric burst out laughing. "Now that's my little brother! Good to hear you can take care of yourself, and against Kenny no less. What happened? I gotta hear this story."

Levi chuckled and shook his head a little. "You said you're coming for Christmas? Why don't I tell you then?"

Eric was still laughing a little but answered through his residual chuckling. "Yeah, that's the plan. I hope you don't mind. Ah, but I would have barged in anyways, so you don't have much of a choice. Though I will ask this: do you mind if I bring Cory. I'd like you to meet him. We've been together for a while now, and it's about time you did."

"That would be fine, but Eric, I will not allow drugs in my home." Levi returned with jest.

Eric laughed whole-heartedly. "I told you, I've been clean for three years. It won't be an issue."

"Good to hear. So, do you plan on coming a few days early, or just the day of?" Levi relaxed into the couch, ready and willing to fall into easy conversation with a brother he hadn't realized he had missed.

"Would we be imposing to come on Christmas Eve?" Levi could tell Eric pulled the phone away from him and asked the person on the other end a question that Levi couldn't hear.

"No. I have quite a few other people coming to stay a few days earlier than that, and then again on New Year's Eve."

"Who's coming?" Eric asked curiously.

"My boyfriend's family, and Hanji and Erwin. I think you've only met those two once."

"Hey, you're one to talk. You have a boyfriend, too?" Levi laughed lightly and hummed a confirmation. "Well, are you sure you have room for us? That sounds like a lot of people."

Levi had to think about it for a minute, but he was able to confirm his previous statement. "I'm sure. I have exactly one more room that you two can use. Newly furnished and everything."

"Aww, how lovely. Well, I can't wait to see you again, Levi. It sounds like you've got a lot of friends these days." Eric stated, unknowing what it would do.

"What do you mean? I have Hanji, Erwin, Eren, and his family. And you, on occasion. That's it. I'm still very much alone. Maybe not as much as when we were younger, but still…"

"You have Isabel and Farlan, don't you?" Eric asked, and Levi realized that Eric wouldn't know. They hadn't seen each other in six years. Isabel and Farlan had died five years earlier. _He doesn't know_. Those three words ran through Levi's head a few times in quick succession.

He was quiet for a long time, and Eric said his name a few times. Levi whispered, "You really don't know…"

"Don't know what? Levi, what happened?"

Levi sighed heavily and sunk farther into the couch, "They died five years ago. Izzy and Farlan. They're gone, Eric."

Levi could hear Eric inhale sharply on the other end. "No… I mean… It hasn't been that long since I've seen you, right? A few years maybe, but not that long…" Eric fell quiet, probably thinking about the new information.

"It's been six years, Eric. I haven't seen you in six years." At that moment, Levi could hear the big garage door opening, and the car pulling into its spot.

Eric was quiet for a minute, but eventually responded solemnly. "I guess it has been that long… Levi, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I wasn't there. What can I do?"

The door leading from the kitchen to the garage opened, and Eren and Grandma Schmidt's voices could be heard in the kitchen now. "It's too late for that, now. It was years ago. I've moved on, mostly. The best you can do for me now is show your face once in a while and let me be a part of your life again."

"I can do that." They both fell into silence again for a moment, and Levi listened to Eren talk animatedly to his grandmother.

"Eric, I need to go. Eren just got home, and I need to help him with some things around the house. It was nice talking to you, and I'll see you on Christmas Eve. Thanks for answering."

"I'll always answer when you call, Levi. Especially now that I have your number again. After all, you're my little brother." Levi could practically hear the smile return to Eric's face, and Levi found himself excited to see his brother. "I'll let you go, but feel free to call me any time. I know you might find this hard to believe after everything the two of us have been through, and the fact that I haven't seen you in so many years, but I love you Levi. You'll always just be the little brat I practically raised."

Levi snickered. "You're still a sap, aren't you, Eric? But I guess I can return the sentiment. You'll always be my brother." Levi wasn't quite ready to say goodbye, but knew he would have to soon, or Eren would come looking for him. "Oh, by the way, do you remember Mikasa?"

"Keith's daughter? Yeah, she was put through the system because Kenny refused to take her in. I remember. What about her?" Eric asked curiously.

"I've seen her recently. Talked to her. She was adopted by my boyfriend's family. She's been well taken care of."

"Oh, wow. That's really cool, and good to know. I'm glad she ended up in a better situation than us."

"I am, too. I just thought you would want to know. But, I'm going to go now. I'll see you soon, Eric."

"Yeah, see you soon, Levi. Have a good day." Eric's smile could be heard through his voice, and it made Levi smile, too.

"You too." Levi and Eric ended their call with smiles on their faces and promises to see each other on the holiday that was fast approaching. It had been a long time since Levi had felt so light, if he had ever really felt the way he did in that moment. If he had, he didn't remember it. He never had to see Kenny again, he had his brother back, he had a loving boyfriend that he loved in return, he had Eren's family, who felt more like a family to him than his own, and he had two friends that were willing to give up an extra week of world traveling, just to be with him on his birthday. In that moment, as Levi stared at the black screen of the phone in his hand, he found himself happier than he had ever been. He felt full; full of life, love, and happiness. He missed Isabel and Farlan, with his whole heart, he missed them. He could still feel the spot in his heart that would forever be missing with his two best friends, but despite that, he felt more whole than he had ever felt in his life. He knew who he had to thank for such a feeling.

That night, sitting on a couch under the stars on the topmost floor of his parents' house, Eren had told him that he would help stitch Levi's heart back together. That, if given the chance, he would be able to do it, and Levi wouldn't regret opening himself up to another. Levi now found himself glad he had put his trust in Eren. Eren who had come with him to face his worst fear. Eren who had encouraged him to stay home that day, so he could have time to talk to his brother. Eren who had slowly, piece by piece, mended his heart. Eren, whom Levi fell harder in love with every day. He could no longer deny what he had come to feel so strongly.

All of these emotions swirled in Levi, making his stomach churn, and his heart clench. Emotions so overwhelming he had only one response. His vision started to blur, and slowly one tear slid down his cheek. It was soon followed by another, and another, until there was a steady stream of them dripping from his chin. He clenched his eyes closed, trying to get them to stop. When he opened his eyes again, Eren was on his knees in front of him.

The younger reached for Levi's face silently, wiping away the salty tears with the pads of his thumbs. Levi could see the questions and concern forming in Eren's teal pools, and instead of answering those questions, or addressing the concern, Levi fell into Eren. He wrapped his arms tightly around Eren's neck, and silent tears slowly turned to quiet sobs as Eren enveloped him in his arms, squeezing tighter, then running his hands up and down Levi's back, just the way he liked it. Levi contently buried his face in Eren's neck as he cried.

He had come so far in only a month, and he had this wonderful man to thank for that. He knew he still had a long way to go, but this was a good start. A few minutes later, Levi was able to calm his overflowing emotions, and reign himself back in. Finally, Eren asked, "What's wrong, Levi?"

"Nothing, Eren. Nothing at all." Levi whispered into his neck.

"Then why are you crying?" Eren's voice filled with curiosity, but still held a hint of concern.

"Because I'm so happy, Eren. I've never felt so happy as I do right now. I have everything I could have ever wanted." Levi pulled away to look Eren in the eyes.

Eren sighed in relief, wiped away the last of the tears, and pulled Levi in for a tender kiss. When they pulled away, Eren smiled and helped Levi up from his place on the floor. "I take it your conversation with Eric went well."

Levi just nodded with a small smile on his face, making Eren's heart warm at the sight. "He's coming for Christmas. I hope that's okay."

"Of course, it's okay, Levi. I can't wait to meet him. He practically raised you, didn't he?" Eren asked as Grandma Schmidt walked over.

"Yeah. If it weren't for him I would have starved before my fifth birthday." Levi looked over to Ella and smiled warmly. "How are you, Grandma?"

"I'm doing just great, Levi. Are you alright?" The woman seemed concerned at seeing Levi with red, puffy eyes.

"Yeah," Levi scrubbed his face, and wiped under his eyes, "I've just had an emotional couple of moments these past few weeks, but I'm good."

"Did I hear Eren say something about your brother?"

"Yeah, he'll be coming for Christmas as well. You'll get to meet him and his boyfriend."

"Eric has a boyfriend?" Eren asked.

Levi nodded, "apparently they've been together for almost three years now. I didn't expect it, but if it's the truth, then good for him. I'm proud of him for straightening his life out and settling down."

They talked for a minute more, greeting each other, and giving out hugs, then Levi took Ella on a tour of the house, starting in the basement, and finishing in the room she would be staying in on the top floor. She seemed content with the arrangement, and she was the only person who would be getting her own bathroom. Levi told her that Erwin and Mike would be staying in the room next to hers, and Eric and Cory in the one across the hall. Of course, the master bedroom that would be housing Eren and Levi was also on that floor.

"Yes, you're staying on the floor with all of the gay folk, but do not fear, my lady. The walls are completely sound proof."

Ella laughed heartily at Levi's joke, even if the statement had an inkling of truth in it. There was no way he could predict his brother or Erwin's actions, but Ella was probably the only one out of the whole family with the fortitude to put up with such antics on the top floor. It made Levi comfortable with placing her there as opposed to anyone else. Not to mention he didn't feel comfortable putting her in the room next to Hanji's, which was the other option. Mikasa would be in that room.

"I'm sorry your room isn't ready yet. I figured we could start here today, and when Carla gets here tomorrow we can work on the rest."

"That's totally fine, honey. It's a beautiful room." The three of them spent the afternoon cleaning Ella's room and bathroom, and Levi made them a delicious dinner of home-made lasagna. Ella and Eren were in heaven from the first bite. They were lazy that evening, and Ella insisted that they use the hot tub that night. Levi was happy to let her, and the three of them laid around in the hot water for a long time, just talking, until Eren let out a huge yawn and decided he was ready for bed. Levi and Ella agreed, and the trio retired for the evening.

Levi went to bed smiling that night as he crawled under the covers next to Eren. He was glad he was hosting Christmas at his own house now. Had he been going anywhere else, he wouldn't have the opportunity to see so many people. He was getting far more than he bargained for, and he couldn't be happier about it.


	20. Chapter 20

**Hi there! It's me! this chapter is mostly fluff, and Levi being his angsty self, but this also deals with him trying to get over that angst. Anyways, I don't have much to say other than next chapter is when the Christmas madness at Levi's house begins! So keep an eye out! Oh, yeah, and also, I posted that smut chapter for those of you who wanted that. It's called "The Best Laid Plans." Go check it out, it's probably the best smut I've ever written, which also isn't saying much, since I haven't written much of it. But enjoy it anyways. Unless you don't like smut, then just stay here, this is more your style. Happy reading! Don't forget to review! ~HeartQueenVivaldi**

 **Update: I changed the end of the chapter. The first time I posted it, it left out the last few paragraphs. I don't know what happened, but it's fixed now.**

Chapter 20

"Levi, you have a beautiful home." Carla smiled as she walked through the kitchen and living room.

"Thank you." Levi responded. It was still fairly early in the morning, and Eren and Grandma, who had arrived the day before, were both still asleep. Carla had just arrived at the house, having left at an ungodly hour when Grisha had left for work that morning. Even Levi had just woken up. Eren, Grandma, and Levi had stayed up late the night before watching movies and talking. It was nearly two in the morning when they finally made their way upstairs to go to bed.

Levi offered Carla a cup of coffee, and she took it. "So where is Eren and my mom?"

"Still asleep. We were up rather late last night."

Carla giggled, "that sounds like my mother. She has always been a night owl, going to bed super late and not waking up until noon. I guess that's where Eren gets it from."

"Well, from the looks of it he didn't get it from you or Grisha." Levi chuckled, knowing his boyfriends sleeping habits well from the many weekends they had spent together, and now he had the break to testify of the same thing. Eren had spent the last week and a half sleeping in until eleven or noon, and Levi would use the quiet of the morning to read a book or practice the piano since the walls were all sound proof.

"Definitely not. Christmas is coming in only a few days. What do you need done around here?" Carla switched the subject on Levi suddenly.

"Not as much as I thought would need done. Hanji, Erwin, and Mike will be arriving tomorrow morning, and they will clean their own rooms. Basically, we need to finish cleaning the other bedrooms and the theater room if we feel like we will use it. Eren and I have already done almost everything else over the last few days. Then it's just decorating." Levi paused, realizing he hadn't decorated since the deaths of his two friends. "We will need to find the decorations in the midst of what I would call nothing less than a dangerous mess. And we might even need to buy more or new decorations."

Carla tilted her head, looking a lot like Eren in that moment. Eren definitely got his looks from his mother. "Dangerous?"

Levi nodded, realizing he would have to give the woman some kind of explanation. "Dangerous in the emotional kind of way. I don't think there's anything truly dangerous about it in any physical aspect. All of the decorations that I own currently are buried in boxes somewhere in a room down the hallway behind us." Levi gestured to a dark hallway to his right that led around behind the kitchen. "Going through the items in that room is another of the things I would like to do while I'm here over the break.

"I've been trying my best over these last few days to come to terms with all aspects of my past: my uncle, my brother, and now some of the more recent events in my past. Eren has been very helpful to me, more so than I could have ever hoped. I can't honestly say that I would want to do any of the things I have done over the last two weeks without him, or that I even could without his support. I may have never worked up the courage to go back to where I grew up, or to call my brother yesterday. I will also probably want him there when I do start sifting through the things in that room…"

Carla smiled at Levi and touched his shoulder. Levi looked up at her and smiled back, if only a little. "Why don't my mom and I finish the cleaning today. You and Eren have already done so much of it, then you two could go through this room of yours and get us ready to decorate. Sound good?"

Levi smiled and nodded, taking another sip of his tea. The two sat at the bar for nearly another two hours, talking and drinking their coffee and tea respectively, until Eren came into the kitchen wearing sweats and a t-shirt that was far too large for even him. He poured himself a cup of coffee from the pot and took a sip. He walked slowly around the island bar, gave his mom a quick hug, and sat down on the other side of Levi. When he was in his seat he leaned on Levi's shoulder and yawned, rubbing his eyes. "Good morning sleepy head."

Eren grunted a quiet acknowledgement and sat up to take another sip of his coffee. As the time passed and the caffeine kicked in he started to become more aware of himself, and the sleep left his eyes. He leaned over to kiss Levi chastely on the lips for his daily good morning kiss. "Morning."

"About time you woke up enough to say so." Levi joked with him, then turned to the sound of claws on the hardwood. Bear came trotting into the kitchen a moment later with Grandma trailing behind slowly, dressed but still looking very sleepy. The older woman let the dog out to the back yard and went to the kitchen.

"Do you happen to have any mocha, Levi?" She turned to look at him then turned back to pull a mug from the cupboard.

"I'm afraid not. I don't drink it, and neither does Eren. I do plan on going to the store either today or tomorrow, though, and I'll grab some for you. You just mean the powder, right? The stuff that's kind of like hot cocoa powder?" Levi responded, ever the gracious host.

"That's exactly what I mean, but you don't have to do that. I can make due with plain old coffee."

Levi shrugged and finished his mug of tea. "If I'm going to the store anyways it's no big deal. I'll just grab a small can of it. I'm almost out of coffee, too. That was almost the last of it."

"Thank you, dear. That's very kind of you. So, what's the game plan for today?" She asked, and Levi explained to her what he wanted done. When they had all finished coffee and Levi had made them a small breakfast of bacon and eggs, Levi showed Carla and Grandma what needed to be done and where all of the supplies were to do it. He set them to work on the bedrooms in the basement, and he and Eren retreated upstairs.

Levi led Eren into the hallway behind the kitchen. Eren had only ever been back there to use the little half bathroom, but he hadn't ever seen what was behind the two closed doors. Levi turned the light on in the hallway and opened the first door. "This is my music storage. I keep all instruments in here that aren't the piano, obviously, and all of the music I have ever played is also in this room. We won't be doing anything in here. It's already pretty well organized and I know exactly where everything is."

Levi closed the door to that room and moved on to the next one. The older man placed one hand on the handle but didn't turn it. Eren hugged him from behind. He already knew what he would see behind the closed door, and he couldn't help but worry for Levi, who hadn't been in here for nearly five years. "I'm right here, Levi. We'll get through this together. Yeah?"

Levi took a deep breath, nodded, and turned the handle. The door swung into the room, and the movement over the carpet kicked up dust that had been building up over the years. Eren and Levi both had to cough and waved their hands in front of their faces, trying to fan the flying particles away from their mouths and noses. "We need to clean as we go. Will you go get the vacuum from the closet, Eren?"

Eren nodded and left the room for a moment to retrieve the said item. When Eren left, Levi stepped into the room and looked around. Everything was exactly as he had left it, only dirtier. Isabel's vanity was in a corner to his right, and Farlan's giant love sac was to his left. Levi closed his eyes, remembering when Farlan had brought it home.

" _Hey Levi! Come help me with something!"_

 _Levi looked up from the book he had on his lap and to his friend poking his head around the corner from the garage. "What have you done now?" He asked curiously._

" _I bought something awesome! You totally have to come see." Levi rolled his eyes, but he bookmarked the page he was on and went to go see what his crazy friend had bought this time. He arrived at the car and almost punched Farlan then and there._

" _What the hell is that thing?"_

" _It's a love sac! Isn't it cool?" Farlan flashed Levi a goofy, lopsided grin and turned back to the item that took up the entire back of the small car. He had the back seat pushed down and the giant bag of beads was haphazardly thrown into the trunk where it didn't even fit and overflowed onto the back seat, and the trunk itself would barely even close._

 _Levi groaned and rubbed his temples. "Why did you buy this? What's it even for?"_

" _You sit on it, dummy. Come on and help me get it inside and I'll show you."_

 _Ten minutes later the duo had the odd piece of furniture in the living room, and Farlan flopped down on it. Levi raised an eyebrow, not really understanding the appeal. Farlan laughed and stood up. "Come on, sit on it. You'll see. It's amazing."_

 _Levi tried to resist, but in the end, he ended up with his ass in the middle of the sac and leaning back into it. While his first impressions of the odd item weren't great, once he was in it he practically melted into it. It was actually super comfortable. He and Farlan were both able to fit on it, and they remained on it for the rest of the afternoon until Izzy came home and insisted she wanted to try it. All in all, it ended up being a pretty good purchase._

Levi smiled fondly at the memory and approached the giant sac of what he guessed to be some kind of foam beans. He grabbed the fabric and rolled it over a few times. Dust flew everywhere, but Levi was determined to sit on it again. He had spent many movie nights with Farlan in this love sac, and it held a lot of fond memories. Levi was finally able to get most of the dust off of it by beating it and rolling it around, and he flopped back onto it. He put his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. After a few minutes of just sitting there, not really thinking about anything, he sat up and looked around the room. There were a lot of things in that room that brought back so many memories. Most of them good, some bad, but all of them were part of his history.

Levi leaned back again, looking up at the ceiling when Eren returned with the vacuum. When he walked in he looked around the room for Levi. He spotted him on the love sac and chuckled.

Levi lifted and eyebrow at him, "what are you laughing at?"

"You just look so comfortable in that giant bean bag. I didn't even know you had one."

"It's Farlan's." Levi responded wistfully. Eren nodded back at him and continued to smile. "It's probably one of the only things in this room I'll even consider keeping."

"Is that what we are going to do today? Get rid of some of this stuff?" Eren asked and picked up a photo that was displayed on Isabel's vanity but covered in a thick layer of dust and grime. He wiped it off and smiled at the image. There were actually two pictures in the black frame with the word family on a plaque across the bottom. One picture was of Levi and Isabel, Levi was kissing Isabel's cheek, and the girl had a massive grin on her face. The other was of Levi and Farlan. Farlan was covered in mud and had caught Levi in a massive bear hug. Levi looked completely disgusted and Farlan appeared to be laughing his head off.

Levi pushed himself off of the love sac and looked over Eren's shoulder at the photographs. "Yeah, that's the plan…" He fell quiet for a moment. "I forgot about those," he whispered and laid his head on Eren's back between his shoulder blades.

Eren looked back at him over his shoulder. "You guys were really close. I can tell. You look disgusted in this picture with Farlan, but I can tell you weren't actually as angry as you look. Your eyes have a gleam in them that I see now whenever you're amused at something. And I can totally see your smile against Isabel's cheek."

"You have me pegged, don't you, Eren?" Levi laughed and reached around Eren to take the frame from him. "You're right. I wasn't angry at him. I actually found the situation quite funny. He had just crashed a bicycle in a giant puddle of mud. I had been laughing at him, so he retaliated by getting that mud all over me by means of a hug. As for this picture of Isabel, this was just something Farlan and I did to Isabel to show her we cared about her. We always kissed her on the cheek whenever we would see her. I have a picture somewhere of us both kissing her, one of us on each cheek."

"Whose was this?" Eren asked.

"Izzy's" was all Levi said and he moved on in the room. "Let's start going through stuff. Our main priority today is finding the Christmas decorations, but if there's anything you think I should keep or anything I should throw out, let me know."

"Well, there's two things I want you to keep right off the bat. The first is those pictures, or any others that we find. The last thing you want to do is throw out pictures and end up regretting it ten years from now. Second, that love sac is a must have. There's no way I'm going to let you throw that away, or even give it away. It's too awesome."

Levi chuckled as Eren finished talking but agreed with a nod of his head. "We can keep the love sac. And I have an idea. I have a ton more photos like these," Levi looked down at the picture frame in his hand and smiled, "and I want to display them somehow. While I have a lot of bad memories recently, these photos are filled with the good memories. I think putting them somewhere I can see them will help me a lot."

"What did you have in mind?" Eren asked as he opened a red box with a green lid, assuming that it was Christmas decorations. He was right.

"I think a scrapbook of some kind would be the best idea. Or maybe I could just buy a couple of photo books and keep them in the sitting room on the coffee table by the piano." Levi set down the picture frame in favor of helping Eren go through more boxes.

"I think that's a great idea." Eren started to carry boxes that held any decorations and put them in the hallway outside the room, so they wouldn't get mixed up in the other stuff. They talked more about what Levi wanted to do with some of the things they went through, and in only a few hours they had everything sorted into fours piles: decorations for any holidays, including Christmas, Halloween, and even Easter, things going in the garbage, items to be donated, and things Levi thought he might keep.

Naturally all of the clothing items were to be donated. Levi decided he wanted to keep Farlan's bedroom set and the mattress, but Izzy's would be donated. Farlan's would be used to furnish the room they were currently standing in as it was the nicer one.

They were just getting ready to carry a bunch of boxes out to Levi's car when Carla poked her head in the door. "All of the basement rooms and bathrooms are clean, but we need your guidance for what needs to be done upstairs." She looked around at the room. There were four distinct piles, one of them stretching down the hallway was obviously decorations, but the other three just looked like piles. "Wow, it looks like you've gone through everything. This is a big room."

"Yeah, we just finished. This was Izzy's room when she lived here. There's another bathroom through there, and we've gone through and cleaned that too. Farlan lived in the one Grandma is currently staying in. We were just about to carry all of these" he pointed to the donation pile, "out to my car."

"Do you need help finishing up?" Carla asked with a smile.

"No, I think we can finish up here. I'll just show you the upstairs rooms." Levi walked, leading Carla and Grandma upstairs while he explained a few things. "The two connected rooms are newly furnished as of last week, so the beds just need clean sheets. It'll mostly be vacuuming and cleaning the bathroom. Then while Eren and I are gone you could start with the decorating." He led them into one of the bedrooms and they set to work doing what they had done in the three basement bedrooms. Ultimately, Levi decided to make Hanji clean her own room in the basement, since she practically lived there anyways whenever Levi was home, and Erwin could be treated more like a guest, so his and Mike's room would be cleaned by Carla and Grandma.

Once Carla and Grandma were situated, Levi returned downstairs to find Eren carrying three boxes out to the garage. Levi jumped into action, holding the door open for him, then following him out to the car, where the trunk was already open and a few boxes already inside of it. Levi smiled as Eren placed his boxes in the car. When he straightened up, Levi practically tackled him. Eren almost fell over as he accepted Levi into his arms in a giant hug. "Not that I don't appreciate it, but what's this for?" Eren chuckled into Levi's shoulder.

Levi chuckled and pulled back just enough to kiss Eren fiercely on the mouth. When he pulled away, Eren looked completely bewildered, and Levi laughed again, but this time a full, hearty laugh that lit up his whole face. It was a rare sight, and Eren was grateful to be privy to it, when not many were. When Levi had stopped laughing he kissed Eren again sweetly before answering. "I'm just glad to have you. I'm glad to have gotten this done. I feel so light, I'll even go as far as to say that I feel free. You really have pieced me back together, just like you said you would. I still have a long way to go, and I know some of my wounds are still there, and still deep. I won't get over this overnight, but these last two days I've had a taste of what my life will soon be like, and I hope with everything I have that I can spend a lot of that life with you. You make my life brighter, Eren. I'm so grateful to have you, and for everything you have done for me."

Eren's face softened as Levi praised him, "I haven't done as much as you seem to give me credit for. You are the strong one. You are the one who has challenged your own past head on and with a vengeance. Giving you my support and standing by you is the least I can do at a time like this. It's what lovers do." Eren snaked his arms around Levi's waist and pulled them closer together, resting his forehead against Levi's.

"Be that as it may, I wouldn't have been able to do it without that support." Levi kissed Eren once more, softly. "Come on, let's get everything else."

Eren watched Levi retreat with a huge grin on his face before following behind him. Levi propped the garage door open, so they wouldn't have to struggle with opening it again, and he led the way down the hallway back to Isabel's room. They took their time carrying boxes out to the car, then everything that would be thrown away was taken out to the big garbage cans out front. Once they were down to the few things Levi decided to keep, Eren vacuumed the carpet, and Levi set up the bed and dresser. They finally had the entire room cleaned and ready to go, looking like a true guest bedroom.

"What's next, the music storage?" Eren asked cheekily.

Levi rolled his eyes. "No. Remember what I told you about my music storage room?"

Eren chuckled, "yeah, it's already organized, and I totally believe that one."

Levi turned to Eren and hugged him around the waist, and he looked around the room. "It looks nothing like it did when Izzy lived in here. Thank you for helping me with this today. It means a lot."

Eren looked down at Levi with soft eyes and a small smile. "It wasn't so bad, was it?"

Levi shook his head. "No, not as bad as I thought it would be. It felt good to look back on some of the good times. Some of it was painful, especially letting go of things that I know they will never use again, but for the most part, I enjoyed today."

Eren kissed Levi firmly on the lips, and even dared to delve his tongue into Levi's mouth, trusting that Levi was in a good enough mood that he wouldn't bite his tongue off. Sure enough, Levi accepted Eren's advances, even as he was pushed onto the bed. Eren kept control of the situation, not letting Levi take over as usual. Eren separated himself from Levi for a moment by only millimeters. "You know, Levi, I might normally be a bottom, but seeing you under me makes me want to take control."

Levi inhaled sharply and tensed a little, looking up into Eren's eyes. "I don't know if I'm ready for that yet, Eren…"

"I know you're not, but if you ever want to try, I'd be willing." Suddenly the door opened behind Eren, and the younger man flew from his position straddling Levi's hips. He looked to the door with wide eyes to see both his mom and grandma standing in the doorway with their arms crossed. Levi had rolled onto his side away from Eren, and was completely embarrassed, though highly amused by the situation.

Carla was the first to speak. "So, we have been busting our asses cleaning upstairs, and what to we return down here to find? My son and his boyfriend on the verge of participating in some not-so-innocent activities."

Grandma simply shook her head, but Eren could see the amused gleam in her eye that told him she wasn't upset with him in any way. Suddenly Levi could be heard chuckling into the mattress. Eren threw a pillow at him. "It's not funny, Levi!"

"But it is!" Levi exclaimed as he bolted up off the bed. Eren's eyes went wide, not expecting that reaction. "That was fucking hilarious! Do you realize what could have happened, but because the world loves, or possibly hates us today for some reason, it didn't?! This was pure hilarity, Brat."

"Why? I don't get it." Eren shook his head at Levi.

"Because I was about to give in, Eren. I was about to put every ounce of trust I could conjure on you. I was going to let you do it." Levi sat back down on the bed next to Eren, calming down as he explained to Eren what left Grandma and Carla even more confused than before. "I was completely ready to turn out the bad experience I had and trust that this time it would be a good one. I was ready to trust you with my entire, very fragile being. And now, I don't know if I'll be willing to say the same when the opportunity arises again."

Eren fell silent, watching Levi's unmoving profile, and the room was quiet for a long time. Finally, Grandma spoke up. "So, I don't really understand what just happened, and I don't think I really want to know, but the entire house should be clean now, right?" Levi looked up at her and nodded. "Then what's next. I know you two are running to the store and Good Will, but what should we do while you're gone?"

Levi stood and showed them the pile of decorations. Once he finished explaining what he wanted he set them to work on decorating around the main floor. Carla worked on the garland that would wrap around the railing on the staircase, and Grandma was in charge of all the little things that would be placed throughout the house. Levi and Eren would be buying a new tree while they were out. The one they had found was no longer usable and so dusty that Levi didn't want to even attempt trying to make it look nice again. I would simply be easier to buy a new one.

Levi and Eren left after that to go drop off boxes at good will, then to the grocery store to pick up a few things they needed for everyone while they were there for Christmas, including coffee and Grandma's mocha. Eren disappeared for a few minutes and came back with a bag of something that he wouldn't let Levi see. Levi just rolled his eyes and continued on. Then they drove to a local seasonal store to pick up a tree and a few other decorations that Eren spotted that he thought would look good.

They returned a few hours later, and Grandma and Carla helped them unload the car, putting groceries away while Eren and Levi worked together to haul the tree from the garage and into the family room. Levi decided that he wanted it set up in the corner to the right of the television where everyone could see it. Eren ran upstairs with that bag of only-Eren-knows-what, and Levi never saw it again.

The rest of the day was spent setting up the tree, making a delicious dinner for the four of them, and then Carla made Eren get on the roof to hang lights. Simple lights, because Levi was not going to have cheesy, colorful lights on his house. It was a classy Christmas setup for this family, or nothing at all, in Levi's opinion.

At the end of the day, they collapsed on the couches together in the living room to watch a movie together. Eren insisted they watch "A Christmas Story" because it was a classic, and Levi, not having ever seen it before, agreed. The other three seemed happy enough about it, so why not.

While the movie was playing, Levi leaned back into the armrest, and Eren cuddled into him, head on his older boyfriend's shoulder. The movie was cheesy as all hell, but Levi found himself enjoying it all the same. He had people he considered family around him, a boyfriend cuddled close, a tree in the corner, and a general peaceful feeling. He would have none of that without Eren. He looked to his left to place a kiss on the top of Eren's head, then rested his cheek in the same spot and closed his eyes. Today was tiring, but oh so worth it.


	21. Chapter 21

**Merry Christmas! Four months later... hey guys, I'm back with another chapter, and this one is fast moving and deals with a lot of people. And when I say a lot of people, I mean A LOT of people. Seriously, it was hard to juggle that many people, so if there's any inconsistencies or anything odd going on let me know. I think there was a total of thirteen characters in this chapter, so, yeah... Anyways, enjoy, and don't forget to review! Seriously reviews keep me motivated. Love you guys! Thanks for reading! ~HeartQueenVivaldi**

Chapter 21

"Merry Christmas, Grisha. Come on in." Levi opened the door on Christmas eve to let Grisha into the house. The older man smiled down at Levi.

"Thank you very much. Your house is gorgeous, by the way." Grisha entered and Levi closed the door behind him.

"Thank you. I'm glad you could make it." The day was a snowy one, and it had taken Grisha an extra long time to get there due to traffic in the near-blizzard weather. Levi, Eren, Carla, and Ella had been worried about him ever since he let them know he was on his way nearly six hours earlier. "Safely, that is." Levi clarified.

"It wasn't too bad. My car has all wheel drive, so I wasn't worried about my own car going out of control, but I was worried about everyone around me."

Levi nodded in agreement. "People are idiots in the snow." Grisha laughed and agreed. "Well, now it's my turn to brave the storm. I need to go pick up my friends from the airport. Apparently, they are still coming in, even with the weather being as bad as it is. I think that's crazy, but whatever. You would think the flight would be cancelled until the storm passed."

"Who knows," Grisha answered, "maybe there's some kind of exception today with the wind speed or whatever."

Levi just shrugged, hung up Grisha's coat, and led the way into the kitchen. "Well, whatever the reason, I now have to go pick up those idiots."

The two men entered the kitchen and Carla practically tackled Grisha. He caught her, and she planted a kiss on his mouth. "I'm so glad you made it here safely."

"I'm fine, Carla. My parents will be here soon. They flew into a different airport and are taking a taxi here."

"I was wondering why they weren't with you." Carla took one of Grisha's bags and started walking toward the door that led down to the basement. "Well, come with me. I'll show you the room Levi set aside for us."

Carla and Grisha disappeared down the stairs and those remaining in the kitchen were silent as Levi, Eren, and Ella drank some hot cocoa the Ella had made. The silence was broken by Levi's phone ringing. He answered, "Hello?" He was quiet while he listened to the person on the other end. "Okay. Sounds good… Yep… See you soon."

Eren looked at Levi with one eyebrow raised, and Levi answered, "that was Erwin. He, Mike, and Hanji will be taking an Uber to get here so that I don't have to drive in the snow. Thank God for that." He stuffed his phone back in his pocket and Levi lifted his mug to his lips again. Just as he took a sip the doorbell rang. "Good Hell, can't I drink my cocoa in peace?"

Ella chuckled, "Oh no, honey. You're a host this week. You better get used to it."

Levi groaned and Eren kissed him on the cheek. "It's okay, I can help. Do you want me to go get it?"

Levi shook his head. "No, I can get it, but thank you, Baby." Levi pecked him on the lips and stood to go get the door.

He walked out to the entryway and opened the door without even looking to see who it was. When he looked up he was looking into a familiar set of eyes, gunmetal gray with flecks of blue, just like his own. Eric. Levi found himself smiling before he even knew what happened. "Eric."

The man surged forward to pull Levi into a crushing hug that Levi found himself returning. He didn't think he would ever be so happy to see the brother that he thought had abandoned him, but here he was, on the verge of happy tears at the sight, sound, and smell of his older brother. The brother that raised him, looked after him, and protected him for sixteen years of his life. Being in Eric's arms felt like coming home for Levi, and it was the best feeling in the world. "Hey, little brother."

"Hey." Levi mumbled into Eric's shoulder. For once Eric didn't smell like drugs or booze, and he seemed to be really taking care of himself. Levi opened his eyes and looked behind Eric. There was an unfamiliar man standing in the doorway with a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. He was taller than Eric (who was taller than Levi, though that's not difficult to accomplish), had chocolate brown eyes and dirty blond hair cut short and combed nicely to the side. The man was handsome to say the least, and Levi could only assume that this was Cory.

Levi pulled away from the crushing hug Eric had wrapped him into, wiped his eyes, took a deep breath, and held a hand out to the man in the doorway. "You must be Cory. It's nice to meet you."

The man smiled brightly and nodded, taking Levi's hand to shake. "I am. It's nice to meet you, Levi. Eric talks about you a lot, actually."

"Does he, now?" Levi looked a little skeptical. "I'm sorry if it's annoying."

"He does. It's rather endearing, actually." Cory smiled, and Eric butted into the conversation.

"Okay, that's enough of that. Now, I want to meet this Eren you mentioned."

Levi rolled his eyes at his brother's antics, but called down the hall, "Eren!"

"Yeah?" He heard Eren call back to him.

"Come meet my brother." Levi answered and within seconds his gorgeous boyfriend rounded the corner, his green eyes sparkling with excitement.

The young man approached Eric and held out his hand, "it's nice to meet you, Eric. I'm Eren."

Eric smiled and shook Eren's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too." He turned to Cory, "this is my boyfriend, Cory." Eren smiled and shook his hand, too. Ella came around the corner a minute later to be introduced, and of course she insisted that both boys call her Grandma instead of Ella. They relocated to the kitchen where Eric and Cory were given mugs of cocoa, and Grisha and Carla returned from the basement and were also introduced to Levi's brother and his boyfriend.

Once Eric and Cory finished their cocoa Levi led them upstairs to the room they would be staying in and left them to settle in. As he passed the front door the doorbell rang again, so Levi turned on his heel to answer it. As soon as it the door was open Levi saw a streak of brown fly past him and there was suddenly a new coat on the coat rack. Hanji's coat. Erwin and Mike were standing on the front step shaking their heads. "Hanji…" Erwin grumbled, and Mike rubbed his back soothingly, trying to calm down his new husband.

"So that was Hanji that just flew past me. Where did she go?" Levi questioned.

"She ran toward the kitchen." Mike replied quietly. Levi groaned and turned to go to the kitchen where he heard Eren squawk and Ella start laughing hysterically.

"Make yourselves at home. You know the drill." Levi called behind him to Erwin and Mike. He rounded the corner to see Eren's head in a crushing Hanji hug and his face stuck between her boobs. Ella was doubled over laughing on her stool, and Levi looked on dumbfounded. Carla and Grisha were sat on the couch not paying much attention to the situation.

Hanji turned around, saw Levi, and let Eren go in favor of charging at the smaller male. Levi dodged her attack, ready for it, and walked calmly into the kitchen. Hanji whined behind him, after falling onto the hard tile floor. Ella started laughing even harder, and Eren was gasping for breath. Levi thought Ella might pass out from how hard she was laughing. "At least one of us is entertained by Hanji's maniac disorder." Levi kissed Eren softly on the cheek and rubbed his back. "are you okay?" he asked. Eren nodded, still trying to catch his breath.

"Hey! I just wanted to give you a hug! I haven't seen you in over a month!" Hanji ran over to yell right into Levi's face. He pushed her, so she was at least an arm's length away.

"So, you strangle my boyfriend? Last I checked he isn't me. By the way, you better get to work. Your room is a disaster, and I wasn't about to clean your filthy living space, so that's on you."

Hanji pouted, and Levi sent her a glare than made her stiffen and turn to take her bag downstairs. The doorbell rang once again, and Levi groaned until he heard Erwin yell down the hall that he got it.

A few minutes later Mikasa came wandering into the kitchen with Erwin and Mike close behind. Ella had finally stopped laughing so she gave her granddaughter a hug, introduced herself to Erwin and Mike, and served three more mugs of cocoa. "Does Hanji want one?" she asked.

Levi sent her a look and growled, "not until she is done cleaning that disaster she calls a bedroom, she doesn't."

Ella shook her head but didn't question it. The other three muttered a quick "thank you, Grandma" before sitting around the bar and sipping on their drinks.

Once everyone had finished their cocoa Levi had Eren lead Mikasa to her bedroom and Levi showed the way to Erwin and Mike's upstairs. At this point they were only missing the two Germans that were bound to add some excitement to the gathering, especially considering the fact that there would be three gay couples in the house, and Levi remembered all too well how they had reacted to there being only one the last time he saw them. But, they had agreed to allow Levi and the others their freedom, since it was his own house and he made the rules this time.

Eric and Cory came into the kitchen not too long after Levi returned from Erwin and Mike's room, and Eric practically tackled Levi from behind, giving him another giant hug. Levi just rolled his eyes, then Eric held out a manila envelope where Levi could see it. "Merry Christmas, Levi. I'm sorry you ended up at Kenny's anyways, but here's what I got from the safe."

Levi took the folder from his brother and opened it up, pulling the contents out and laying them on the counter. There were four items: immunization records, birth certificate, and two social security cards. The one social security card he recognized, and knew the number by heart, but the other was not the same. The next thing he noticed was the name on the birth certificate was not his. The immunization records told him it was his name, but the difference in names on the social security card and birth certificate left him confused. "I think you have something wrong, Eric. Who is this Revaille Ackerman?"

Eric furrowed his brow and answered, "you, dummy."

Levi lifted a brow, "My name isn't Revaille, Eric."

"Not anymore. We are French. My name is French, and yours was, too at one point. Kenny couldn't pronounce your name, so he changed it. Revaille and Levi sound almost the same, so at least he stayed true to your original name in some form."

Levi nodded, understanding what his uncle had done. "So, my original name was Revaille, and Kenny changed it. That's why I have two social security cards."

Eric nodded. "And you'll need both as proof of who you are if you were to ever, say, get married, adopt, or anything else like that."

"Did he change your name, too?" Levi asked out of curiosity.

Eric shook his head. "no, because he could pronounce mine."

Levi nodded and put the documents away again. He stood and walked away toward the stairs leading upstairs. "Where are you going?" Eric called after him.

"To put these in my safe." He didn't even stop walking, and Eren, being the ever-vigilant, observant boyfriend, followed, knowing something was off. He walked quietly behind Levi, padding softly up the stairs, eyes trained on his older boyfriend's back. Levi knew Eren was following but didn't acknowledge him just yet.

Erwin and Mike exited their room just as Levi walked past, but Levi ignored them, even as they called for him. They tried to ask Eren what was wrong, but Eren just shook his head and continued to follow Levi into their bedroom. Erwin shrugged and led Mike down to the kitchen.

Eren closed the door behind him when he entered the room. Levi was kneeling down in front of the bedside table on his side of the bed with the bottom cupboard open. He placed his fingers on a black pad on top of a greenish black safe and it popped open for him. Eren could see a few of the contents: two black pistols, a stack of cash, a few boxes of ammo and preloaded magazines. Levi slid the manila envelope into the safe on the top shelf, then just sat there for a minute staring into space.

Eren approached him and sat on the floor next to him. He didn't say anything and waited for Levi to make the first move or say the first word. The older man leaned into Eren, resting his head on Eren's shoulder. The younger put an arm around his shoulder and remained quiet. Levi would speak when he was ready.

They stayed like that for a while until Levi sat up and kissed Eren on the cheek. "Thanks," he muttered quietly.

"Are you okay?" Eren asked, kissing Levi's brow and giving him a concerned look.

Levi nodded, "yeah, there's just a lot of emotions that come with seeing Eric again. Emotions I didn't expect."

Eren contemplated that for a moment, looking into the open safe, but not really seeing it. "I guess I can see that. He's a part of your past that you've run away from for a long time, but he's also the person who raised you. That alone is a confusing thought. Then he just loaded new information on you that you didn't know."

"That pretty much sums it up, yeah." Levi sat up straight again and leaned forward to close the safe.

Eren stopped him before he could, though. "Wait. Why do you have two pistols? I thought Hanji took away all of your guns."

"She gave them back this last summer, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. That's right. Well, do you use them ever?" Eren asked, curious about the weapons.

"I like to target practice when I get the chance. These are two of my favorite guns, so they're the ones I use the most."

"How many guns do you have exactly?"

Levi thought about it for a minute, counting on his fingers, "I think I have about 12, but not all of them are pistols. I have a couple assault rifles in my big safe downstairs, two shotguns, a hunting rifle, a .22 because everyone has to have at least one, a revolver I've only ever shot once, and that's just the safe. I have pistols like these hidden everywhere in the house. I'm pretty big on home defense."

"Clearly. Could you teach me how to use them? I've never shot a gun before." Eren reached for one of the guns in front of him, but Levi caught his wrist.

"Be careful, those are loaded and cocked. We wouldn't want any accidents." Levi reached into the safe with a steady hand and took hold of one of the pistols. It slid easily out of its place and Levi pointed it away from Eren, pushed a little lever, and the magazine fell out. He pulled back on the slider and a single bullet flew from its place in the barrel. Once he had the weapon emptied he pushed the safety on and carefully handed it to Eren. "Even though I just emptied the chamber and there's no magazine, you still need to be careful. Always treat a gun as if it's loaded. Point it away from you and everyone else, never aim straight up or at the ground, keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to pull it. Never, ever, and I mean NEVER treat a gun as a joke. One mistake or misfire could kill you or someone around you."

"Sounds scary." Eren examined the heavy object in his hand, spotting an engraving on the side, _Farlan Church_. "This was Farlan's?" Levi nodded. "I would like to learn how to shoot, but you kind of scared me just now." Eren laughed nervously and handed the gun back to Levi the way Levi had handed it to him.

"As long as all of the rules are followed it's actually really fun. If you follow the rules, there's nothing to worry about. I'll take you to an indoor range next week if you'd like." Levi placed the gun on the carpet in front of him, pushed the stray bullet into the magazine, picked the gun up again to replace the mag, released the safety, and pulled the slider back once to push a bullet into the chamber. He put the gun away and closed the safe and the door to the table.

"I'd like that. Sounds exciting." Eren grinned at Levi and Levi chuckled, kissing his boyfriend firmly on the lips. He stood after that, offering a hand to Eren to help him up. Once they were both standing, Eren took Levi by surprise, capturing his mouth in another firm kiss and pushing him down on the bed. Eren straddled Levi's hips and deepened the kiss by pushing his tongue past Levi's lips.

Levi moaned into the kiss and grabbed Eren's hips to flip them over. He hovered above his boyfriend for a moment and Eren asked breathlessly, "not in a submissive mood today?"

"Not at all." Levi stopped Eren from saying any more by shoving his tongue as far into his mouth as he possibly could. Eren moaned and bucked his hips up into Levi's. Levi lifted Eren's hips so the younger could wrap his legs around Levi's waist.

Levi ran his hands up Eren's back, pulling his shirt up as he went. He just about had Eren's shirt to the point where he would pull it over his head when there was a firm knock on the bedroom door. Levi and Eren both groaned in frustration, and Levi sat up, pulling Eren's shirt back down over his torso and pulling them both into a standing position by the bed.

Levi readjusted himself and called out "yes?"

The answer on the other end was from Eric. "There's some more people here." Levi walked over to the door and opened it. Eric looked down at Levi with an amused glint in his eye. "Some old people that only speak German. The old man keeps glaring at us."

Levi sighed and turned back to look at Eren, who stood in front of the mirror on the bathroom door fixing his hair. Their eyes met in the reflection, and Levi said, "They're here. Should we go control that situation?"

Eren took a deep breath to steel himself and turned to walk downstairs with Levi. They entered the kitchen/living room common area with Eric close behind. Eren immediately launched into German, speaking to his father and grandparents, clearly trying to explain some things and get his parents on the same page as him and Levi.

Not too long after, Grisha led his parents down to the basement to show them to their room, and all of the gay people plus Carla, Mikasa, and Ella were left in the room. Eren immediately launched into another explanation, but in English this time. "So, I know this is going to be rough for us couples in the room, but around my grandparents who just went downstairs, we need to keep the gayness to a minimum. They have agreed to turn the other way as long as we keep affection to a minimum in their presence."

"So," Erwin started, "I can't kiss my own husband in front of them?"

Eren shook his head, "like I said, keep it to a minimum. They are beyond traditional and old-fashioned, so they struggle with the idea of homosexual relationships being normal and accepted. For the sake of your own sanity, it would be better to keep the affection behind closed doors. And don't be mad at us, we have to do it, too."

Erwin looked at Mike, both looking a little dejected, but turned back to Eren and Levi and nodded in agreement. Eric and Cory didn't seem to have much of an issue with it, and they simply gave each other a sweet kiss on the lips, then separated.

Once everyone was on the same page, Levi went to the kitchen to begin preparing for their Christmas Eve dinner with Eren, Carla, and Ella. Everyone else started a cheesy movie on the big screen tv in the living room with German subtitles for the crazies. Grisha approached Levi to ask a question about shoveling snow off of the driveway, which Levi rejected, because the driveway and all walkways were heated, therefore did not accumulate snow.

"How does that work?" Grisha asked as Levi added flour to the dough he was mixing to make home-made rolls with.

"When the concrete is poured, heated wires are placed underneath it, and they are timed to turn on when the concrete's temperature reaches a certain point." Levi explained.

"Sounds expensive." Grisha stole one of Carla's pecans while her back was turned.

"Don't know," Levi shrugged, "Probably. It was done when the house was built, and I'm the second owner."

"Speaking of which," Carla turned around just in time to slap Grisha's hand away from his third pecan, "how much did you pay for this house? It's quite large for only one person. Of course, you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"No, it's fine." Levi moved the dough from the mixing bowl into a larger, metal bowl to raise. "I bought this house with two friends of mine that passed away a few years back. To be honest it was even big for the three of us, but at least we all had our own space. We paid a little over a half a million at the time, but it's worth almost a million now."

"Ah, you must have bought during the time when the housing market was booming about 6 years ago." Grisha tried once again to sneak a pecan but was again swatted away by Carla who glared at him. He sunk into his chair sheepishly and Carla rolled her eyes and handed him three. He smiled gratefully at his wife and popped one in his mouth to munch on.

"Yeah, we did." Levi watched the exchange between the married couple with amused interest and chuckled when Grisha smiled like he had been given his favorite piece of candy on Christmas morning.

"What?" Grisha asked, mouth still full of pecan.

"Nothing. You two are just funny." Levi wiped his hands on a kitchen towel and covered the dough to let it rise. He then shifted his focus to the turkey he had put in the kitchen sink that morning to defrost.

Ella finished up the stuffing and turned to help him prep the massive bird. "So, Levi. How do you plan on cooking this giant bird? I doubt it will fit in either oven, especially since both ovens will be needed for other things."

Levi started pushing stuffing into the cavity in the middle of the bird. "You'll see." He smirked a little, and Ella decided she was excited to see what the young man had planned. "Why don't you finish closing this up with toothpicks, and I'll be right back." Levi left the kitchen to go out to the garage. A few minutes later the distinct smell of burning charcoal came wafting through the house, and Levi came back into the house with some kind of metal thingy.

He washed the strange object quickly and pulled a baking sheet from a cupboard by the sink, taking both objects over to the turkey. He put the metal thing on top of the baking sheet, and Carla and Ella were finally able to get a good look at it. It was cast iron with a crisscross base and a handle on each side. It was easily wide enough to fit a turkey between the handles, and suddenly Ella understood. "You're dropping the turkey into something. Are you frying it?"

Levi shook his head and lifted the turkey onto the baking sheet between the handles of the odd metal thing. He reached for a box of kosher salt in the cupboard above his head. "Even better, Grandma. It takes about four to five hours, but it's the best turkey you'll ever have."

"Well, what are you doing to it?" Levi didn't answer her right away but finished seasoning the turkey.

When the meat was thoroughly seasoned, Levi went to wash his hands. "If you want to find out, follow me." He picked up the tray with the massive turkey and walked toward the door to the garage. Ella was quick to open the door for him, and Levi carefully stepped down the ledge and onto the concrete floor. The far, single car door was open, so the garage was kind of cold, but next to the door was a setup that Ella knew well: A metal tray with hot pieces of charcoal on it and sitting among the charcoal was the biggest Dutch oven she had ever seen. The whole setup was sitting up on a camp chef, and the door was open to keep the smoke from filling the garage.

"You're seriously going to cook a turkey in a Dutch oven?" Ella asked in disbelief when Levi approached the setup with the turkey.

"Yep, and like I said, it'll be the best damn turkey you ever had." Levi lifted the turkey from the tray with the handles of the metal thing and lowered the whole thing down into the oven. He took the lid and placed it on top (it fit perfectly to Ella's surprise) and placed more charcoal on top of the lid. "There's water in the bottom to keep the turkey from drying out, and I'll have to check the water every 20 minutes or so. I'll also add more salt to the top about half way through. Grandma, you are going to die and go to heaven when you take a bite of this turkey."

Ella giggled and said, "I guess we'll see." Levi smiled at her and they went back inside the house.

Sure enough, dinner time came around, and everything was ready to go. Levi had made his rolls, and Carla made a sweet potato pie with pecans and brown sugar on top instead of marshmallows. Of course, Ella had incorporated a few of her own dishes. It was almost like a thanksgiving 2.0. They just wouldn't be having pie for dessert, but rather home-made cheesecake. The only thing they had left to wait for was the turkey, which Levi had said was almost done.

Levi went out to check the turkey one last time, and everyone else gathered around the big table in the formal dining room. Levi returned from the garage with the long-awaited turkey on a big platter. He walked into the room and everyone looked on with hungry, excited eyes.

"Okay," Levi put the turkey down in front of his own seat. "Now, before we get started on this beautiful meal, I want to say thank you for coming. Everyone here is like family to me, except for the two of you who are family." He looked pointedly at Eric and Mikasa who both chuckled. The two had met each other earlier in the day and were getting along famously. "If any of you know me very well you also know that I'm not the best with people or messes," there were some scattered snorts and chuckles around the table, "but now that everyone is here, I'm actually really glad I did this. But seriously, clean up after yourselves. Now, everyone, dig in. I'll cut the turkey. Pass your plates this way and I'll give you a slice."

Conversation broke out, and the dinner went smoothly. The Jaegers didn't go too crazy over the idea of there being three different homosexual couples, in fact they seemed to ignore all of them, and everyone was pleased and happy to be together. The food was absolutely delicious, and the turkey was, as Levi had said, the best one they had ever had. No one could have asked for a better Christmas Eve.


	22. Chapter 22

**Hey Guys! Merry Christmas in April! The last day of April. I honestly can't believe how fast the year is going by, but that's beside the point. Anyways, here's the next chapter, and there's a bit of drama, serious conversations, and some major feels from our boys. There's a lot of people in this chapter. Do you know how hard it is to write about 11 people all in the same room, and convey them all correctly? But whatever. Enjoy, and don't forget to review! Love you guys! ~HeartQueenVivaldi**

Chapter 22

A tired set of ocean green-blue eyes opened slowly, then closed again quickly, not ready for the light to reach them. Unwilling to rise for the day, Eren snuggled back further into a warm embrace. Levi's arms were wrapped firmly around Eren's torso, and Eren just couldn't find the motivation to ever want to leave those arms. Levi kissed the back of Eren's neck and whispered, "good morning."

Eren grunted softly once in return, and he could feel more that hear Levi's chuckle against his back. A few more minutes of just laying in silence under the covers and Eren finally worked up enough energy to roll over and bury his face in Levi's bare chest. "Merry Christmas, Eren." Levi said into Eren's hair, and the younger grinned and lifted his head to kiss Levi once on the lips.

"Merry Christmas, Levi." The pair laid next to each other quietly for a while after that with their eyes closed and breathed each other's air, perfectly happy to enjoy the moment before everyone else was up and moving about.

The night before had ended with a metaphorical bang. They had finished dinner and had cleaned up for the most part and were sitting around the table drinking glasses of wine or any other preferred drinks when chaos sort of broke loose. Erwin was kind of a lightweight and once he had a few glasses of his favorite merlot in him he started getting a little handsy with Mike. Eric, who was sitting on his other side, tried to stop him before the Jaegers saw what was going on, but his effort was in vain. Ilse Jaeger looked over from her place at the table, saw Erwin practically hanging off of Mike, turned bright red with anger, and exploded. Of course, Hans was quick to turn around when he noticed his wife becoming angry, and soon he was also involved in the yelling.

The screaming coming from the two Germans was quite scary, and with the little bit of German that Mike and Erwin knew, they knew that some not-so-good things were flying from their mouths. Grisha stepped in quickly to remind them that they were guests in someone else's home, but they wouldn't have it. They told Grisha, and Eren who had joined in on the conversation, that they didn't want to stay in a place where such quote-unquote "vulgar things" were happening and added that they no longer wanted to stay at Levi's house.

In the end, Grisha was able to calm them down after Mike dragged Erwin out of the room and Eric and Cory disappeared as well. They agreed to stay as long as nothing like that happened for the remainder of their stay. They wouldn't stop glaring at Levi and Eren while they cleaned the kitchen, so eventually Carla and Ella sent them upstairs and finished cleaning on their own.

Levi had stopped at Erwin and Mike's room, and when the door opened he was met with a fuming Erwin. The man was less than pleased at the things he had been called once his buzz had worn off. He ranted to Levi about gay being normal and that they shouldn't have to hide it. Levi tried not to argue with him, but nearly failed. Of course, the ever-calm Mike was able to help calm down the situation boiling between the two friends, and they eventually came to an agreement to keep the affection to themselves for the sake of peace around the holidays.

Eric and Cory went unseen for the rest of the evening, and quite frankly, Eren and Levi couldn't blame them, and were quite happy to remain in their little domain called the bedroom for the night, watching movies and basking in each other's company. Carla brought them each a piece of cheesecake (and probably did the same for the other two couples as well, but they couldn't be sure), and that was the last they saw of anyone the rest of the night.

To say the peaceful morning was welcome would be an understatement. There was no screaming and yelling yet, and Levi and Eren prayed to any and all gods they could think of that the yelling would never come. They wished for a simple, peaceful morning. Was that so hard? … With this family, yes. It was really hard. Especially when Hanji was in the corner laughing like a maniac while Ilse and Hans screamed their lungs out.

Levi sighed into Eren's hair simply at the thought. Eren opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but he was interrupted by a soft knock on the door. Levi called "come in," and Eric stuck his head in. "Hey. Do you want me to start breakfast? There're a few people up and about, and I assume it'll only be a matter of time before everyone is up. Merry Christmas, by the way."

Levi sat up, pushing Eren over to groan into his pillow, and stood to approach Eric. "Merry Christmas. I don't know. Do we want to have everyone open gifts first, or have breakfast?"

Eric opened the door all the way to reveal Cory standing behind him. "Well, if we want to be traditional then we should open gifts first, but if we don't care then I say breakfast."

Levi looked at the clock. "It's only 8. Breakfast can wait, and I think Christmas is best when traditions are followed, don't you?"

Eric grinned at his little brother. "I agree. Well, then let's go get everyone up so we can get this party started." The four men padded down the stairs in pajamas and bare feet and into the common area. Grisha, Ella, and Mike were the only ones awake and moving about. Ella had made coffee for everyone and Mocha for herself, and they were talking softly.

The three looked up when they heard the other four enter the room and smiled, "Merry Christmas" wishes were exchanged among them, and they decided it was time to wake everyone up to start off Christmas morning. Grisha went to retrieve his wife and parents, Ella went to get Hanji and Mikasa, and Mike went to get Erwin.

Once everyone was up and about they sat in the living room and per Carla's request decided not to open any gifts just yet. It was at this point Levi noticed thirteen stockings sitting in front of the fireplace below the tv, all of them stuffed full of items. Ella helped her daughter pass out each stocking to their respective owner, and Levi could hardly believe it. When Carla handed him his own stocking he looked up at her and said, "you didn't have to do this, you know."

Carla shook her head, "I didn't. It was Santa. Don't you know." She winked and walked away.

Eren chuckled next to him, "Santa always has to bring everyone something if they've been good girls and boys. Duh. It's tradition."

Levi shook his head and let a small smile spread across his lips. Eric had a similar look on his face but had a much bigger smile. They looked as excited as little kids on Christmas morning. Eric took the liberty of explaining when he saw Cory and Eren's confused faces. "We never got anything for Christmas as kids, especially not a stocking. I think we are both living some kind of childhood fantasy that we never got to experience as kids. This is exciting for us."

Eren looked at Levi in disbelief. "You've never gotten a stocking on Christmas?" He looked completely astounded with his mouth hanging open and eyes holding a sad sort of look in his eyes. Levi simply shook his head. Carla gave the go-ahead, and everyone started to remove items from their oversized socks.

Everyone had the same basic items: an apple, orange, a small tube of toothpaste and a toothbrush, Skullcandy headphones, and a bag of fun-sized chocolates of varying types from Twix to Snickers. On top of each one was a more personalized item. For some it was a movie, a gift card for others, or in Levi's case, nothing. He looked a little confused, not upset, just confused.

Carla laughed and approached him again. "Don't worry, we didn't forget about you. Santa didn't know what kinds of things you were interested in other than piano, so he got you this." She held out a black binder that was full of paper. Levi took it, opened it, and smiled. "well, tell Santa thank you. It's perfect." The inside of the binder was full of sheet music ranging from classical to contemporary. It made Levi's fingers itch to tickle the ivories, but that would have to wait. Carla and Ella were already passing out packages that had been placed under the tree the night before.

They went around the room, and everyone opened their gifts one at a time, so everyone could see what everyone else got. There were lots of good gifts, and some funny, but everyone was happy. It was a nice change from the night before. Ilse and Hans didn't bother saying anything to anyone but Grisha, Carla, Mikasa, or Ella. All in all, it was a peaceful morning.

They got down to the last few gifts, and all that was left was Eren and Levi. Eren went first, and grinned at what Levi had given him. Eren had been complaining a lot lately that he needed new art supplies. He was always scrambling for a blank page in his sketchbooks, and his pencils were almost worn down to the nubs. Not to mention his eraser was almost nonexistent. Levi had gotten him a massive art set with tons of different pencils, chalk, charcoal, oil paints, moldable erasers, sketchbooks, and a few blank sheets of canvas for the paints. Eren had seen this set in his store, and he had always wanted it, but knew he would never be able to afford it. He threw his arms around his boyfriend and thanked him over and over again, each one accompanied by a kiss on a different part of his face.

Levi chuckled and pushed the younger man off of him. "Okay, okay. I got it. You like it. Now, stop, you're embarrassing."

Eren pulled away. "Now, it's your turn." He said. "Open it up."

Levi reached for his last gift, the one from Eren, and tore off the wrapping paper. His breath caught in his throat, and he hands trembled. He had two books in his hand, and on the front of the one on top were Isabel, Farlan, and himself, smiling up at him, framed by soft leather. He could feel tears surface, but he wouldn't let them fall. He opened the front cover and was hit with a flood of memories. Eren hadn't just put all of his photos in a book, he had taken the time to scrapbook them. As he turned the pages a few more times a few silent tears finally fell. He flipped through a few more and closed the first book. The second book was made up of the same thing.

Levi had wondered what Eren was doing in the office over the last week since they had cleaned out Isabel's room. He would disappear for a few hours at a time, close the door, and Levi was never allowed inside the room while Eren was there. It had confused Levi a great deal, and he had asked Eren about it on multiple occasions, but the younger man would simply brush it off. He was tight-lipped, and never gave anything away. At the realization that this was what Eren had been doing, Levi's tears flowed a little faster down his face. It wasn't just the memories of Farlan and Isabel that moved him so, it was Eren's dedication to make something so special and meaningful for him. It made him feel like a fool for giving Eren something so simple and expected.

The raven set the books down carefully on the arm rest next to him and turned to pull Eren into a big hug. Eren ran his hands up and down Levi's back soothingly and asked, "Are you okay?"

Levi pulled away and nodded, wiping his eyes with the palms of his hands. "Thank you so much," he whispered. "It's perfect." He pulled the books back into his lap and ran his fingers over the picture on the front.

Carla leaned over and asked, "may I see it?" Levi nodded and handed the books to her. She flipped through the pages, smiling down at them and giving them a good look through.

"This is some of your best work, I think, Eren. It's beautiful." Carla said, looking closer at some of the designs and drawings he had included on certain pages.

"Thanks." Eren said sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. The books ended up being passed around a bit, and everyone sang their praises, especially those who knew Isabel and Farlan.

When the books reached Levi again, he took them and walked out of the room towards the sitting room in the front of the house. Carla stood with Ella and the two started pulling out things to make breakfast while everyone else looked through their gifts, unpacking some of their favorites to set up or figure out how they worked.

Eren followed Levi into the sitting room. When he rounded the corner, he leaned against the doorway and watched Levi display his new scrapbooks on the lid of the piano. He smiled, feeling extra pleased that something he had made for his boyfriend made it onto the piano. Very few things had a place there, because his piano meant so much to him.

Levi turned around to look at Eren briefly, but quickly looked back to his newest addition to his collection of things that sat atop the piano. Eren approached Levi from behind and wrapped his arms around his waist, kissing him on the cheek. "I didn't know what else to get you. It was the only thing I could think of."

"I couldn't possibly think of anything better." He turned in Eren's arms and gave him a kiss, letting their lips linger a little longer than necessary. "I could ask for a better boyfriend, either. If things stay like this I might ask you to marry me after all."

Eren laughed. "I thought we were waiting at least a year?"

"Yeah, I know what I said. Don't think this is going to happen next week or anything, but I might relent by sooner than next November in the end, especially if you are always going to be this thoughtful and kind to an asshole like me." Levi leaned up to press another kiss against Eren's lips.

Eren kissed Levi back and chuckled, leaning his head against his older boyfriend's forehead. "You can be an asshole sometimes, I won't deny that."

Levi scoffed and pushed Eren away, "You brat. Why am I dating you again?"

Eren laughed harder and tried to pull Levi toward him again. Levi let him with no small amount of resistance. "Because you love me, and I'm kind and thoughtful."

Levi rolled his eyes, "Oh, yeah? And where did you get that from?"

"My amazing, handsome, loving, talented, oh-so-incredible boyfriend told me so."

"Did he, now?"

"Yep." They chuckled together at their banter and shared one more kiss, and someone cleared their throat in the doorway. They turned to see Eric leaning against the wall with his arms folded over his chest.

"Carla and Grandma would like some help preparing breakfast. Carla can't find the bacon." Eric had a highly amused look on his face, and Levi couldn't help but roll his eyes exaggeratedly.

"Don't look so pleased with yourself. We're coming." Levi walked towards the door in order to pass by Eric, but the older Ackerman blocked the way. "I could always throw you over my shoulder if you don't move out of my way."

Eric laughed, "funny that you seem to think you'll be able to. I just wanted to say that I think you two are really great together. I'm happy for you."

"Then don't look so smug. Thanks, but can I go help Carla with the bacon now?" Eric laughed and stepped aside to let Levi walk away toward the kitchen.

Eric turned back to look at a smiling Eren. The two had yet to be in a room alone together, and Eren suddenly found himself to be rather nervous. Eric assessed the younger man quietly for a minute before addressing him. "You know, I think I've decided I like you. I've never seen Levi express his emotions like he does now, and I think it's because of you."

Eren opened his mouth to protest, but Eric held up a hand, stopping him. "I know you don't think it's true, but you cannot honestly tell me he hasn't changed since you first met him. Am I right?"

Eren thought about it for a minute and realized Eric was right. The first day he met Levi, Hell, the first three months he knew Levi, he thought the older man was nothing but a pain in the ass. They fought over stupid things, Levi had scared Mikasa and Armin out of the dorm over a pizza box, he had threatened to rip off Eren's balls more than once because of leaving clothes laying on the bathroom floor while he showered, or not cleaning his own damn room. Eren genuinely thought Levi was the biggest asshole he would ever meet, and he told Armin about it on a daily basis. It seemed like his only emotions were anger and irritation back then. And if he wasn't either of those he didn't seem to show it. Comparing that Levi to the one he knew now, Eren could see a world of difference. This new Levi was kind and thoughtful, he cried, and laughed, and loved with his entire soul. He made Eren feel special, even if he called him a brat to this day. Everything Eren thought he knew about Levi was turned on its head the moment they started dating.

"I guess you aren't wrong. He was just my asshole roommate before we started dating, and now he's kind and loving and gentle. I don't think I can take the credit for it, though. He's done it all on his own. All I've done is stand by him and support him while he's faced the hardest things in his life, his past. I really didn't do much." Eren leaned back against the piano, looking down at the carpet and thinking.

"Oh, please. I don't believe that for a second." Eric approached Eren and stood next to him, leaning on the piano, too. "Levi might be the one facing all of those incredibly difficult things, but he wouldn't just do that on his own. He needed a reason, and someone to push him in the right direction. I have a feeling that if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be standing in this house right now. I never would have gotten that phone call last week. He wouldn't have gone to face Kenny. He would have been alone for these holiday months, just like always. A lot would be different if you hadn't thought to invite him over for the Thanksgiving break a month ago. Levi would still be living in his own personal Hell that he has created for himself. Cory pulled me out of my Hell, and you've pulled Levi out of his. That means a lot to me, and I'm sure it means a lot to him, too."

Eren chuckled a little and turned to face Eric. "You know, Levi has always said how much of an asshole you can be, but so far I haven't really seen any of that. When he first mentioned you, he said he didn't know much about you anymore, but that you were a druggie, and that he couldn't trust you because of something you convinced him to do?" Eren phrased that last part as a question. "I still have no idea what that was, but it obviously isn't something he's ready to talk about, not with anyone."

Eric's face went red and he looked away from Eren. "Yeah, let's not talk about that. People change, and I'm one of those that has changed a lot. He probably hasn't told you because he doesn't want you to think less of him, and I don't really blame him. It's the one thing I regret most in my life, and I find myself hating myself for it quite often. I know I pushed him away that day, and it ruined our relationship, probably permanently. It'll never be like it was before, and I hate that. I used to be the one he could talk to about anything, but I screwed up. I know I'm the one to blame for the rift between us, the reason he hasn't bothered to even try to contact me in six years. I really hate that."

"I would ask what happened, but clearly neither of you are willing to say yet, if ever. And I don't really want to go behind Levi's back. If there's any way for me to lose his trust, that's it. So, don't tell me. I want him to be the one to tell me if he ever does."

Eric laughed, "Yeah, that would be best. I've told Cory, and he's been nothing but supportive, and I'm grateful for that. I will ask though, if he does decide to tell you, please don't judge him too hard. If anything, judge me. Hate me. I'm the one at fault."

"I would never judge him or you for past mistakes. That's not how I think. The past is the past, and that's where it should stay. If he wants to tell me fine, if not that's fine, too. I'll never push or pry. This needs to be his decision, and his alone."

"Thank you, Eren. I couldn't ask for better for my baby brother. And I mean that."

Little did they know, Levi stood around the corner, leaning against the wall out of sight, listening to every word until Eren said, "we should go help with breakfast," and he walked away quickly and back to the kitchen, still lost in thought.

Eren and Eric entered the kitchen only seconds after Levi, and Eren immediately approached to help with whatever was needed in the kitchen. He was told to cut up the fruit, and he stood next to Levi while he did, who was mixing the dough for scones while Carla cooked enough bacon to feed and army, and Ella was cracking a whole bunch of eggs into a bowl. Levi didn't say anything to Eren, and they worked side by side in near silence. It remained that way, and Eren knew Levi was deep in thought over something, so didn't want to bother him.

Once they had the scones started in pans on the stove, they called everyone into the kitchen for breakfast. They served scones as they came out of the oil, and there was enough that everyone was able to eat until they just couldn't any more. There was a lot of talk and ruckus as stomachs were filled, and Christmas became everything Levi and Eren could have hoped for. It was peaceful, happy, and all-around fun.

After breakfast everyone went different ways to either pack bags and get ready to head home, or to help Levi and Eren clean up the kitchen from breakfast. Only an hour later and there were already a few groups of people ready to head home to enjoy a Christmas dinner in the company of their own. It had stopped snowing, and the roads had been cleaned off, so everyone deemed it safe to start off home.

Erwin and Mike were the first to leave, dragging Hanji along with them, because they wanted Eren and Levi to have some time alone together, which wouldn't happen if she was around. They yelled at her to go see her own parents for the night, and they would be dropping her off there whether she liked it or not.

Next to leave were Grisha and his parents, headed back for the Jaeger residence until New Years eve, when everyone would be returning for one more sleepover. Grisha helped his parents into his car in the driveway, and off they went, much to the relief of Eren and Levi.

Eric and Cory followed soon after with a promise from Eric that he would be calling Levi soon, so they could get together again, since they would not be returning for the New Year. Mikasa followed them, headed to Carla and Grisha's house for the rest of the break.

Once everyone had left, Carla and Ella stayed long enough to help Levi get his house back in order, then they said their goodbyes as well. Ella would be going home with Carla so that she could spend the rest of the holidays with her daughter. They gave Eren and Levi each a big hug with the promise of returning in a few days for the next holiday, then headed out into the cold December air.

Levi closed the front door and leaned against it, glad that they were alone again. Eren was leaned up against the wall by the sitting room, looking at Levi. Levi contemplated him for a minute, saying nothing, simply because he wasn't sure what to say. At this point, Eren finally broke, and asked Levi, "Is everything okay? You've been acting a little strange since breakfast."

Levi nodded. "Trust is big for me, you know that."

Eren lifted one eyebrow, looking at Levi skeptically. "Yeah. Have I done something to break your trust? If I have, let me know, but I can't honestly think of anything."

Levi lifted a hand to stop Eren before he could start rambling. "Nothing of the sort. Quite the opposite actually." Levi pushed himself away from the door and approached his young boyfriend, snaking his arms around his waist and resting his head on Eren's chest. "I heard some of your conversation with Eric. I know that was supposed to be private, but when I heard you mention that I had talked about him before I had to hear what he would say, and what you would say in return. I wanted to know for sure that I could start to trust him again, and that you wouldn't try to find out behind my back. I know I said I trust you, and I do, but I guess I still have my doubts. Please don't hate me for listening in."

Eren laughed into Levi's hair, holding him tighter to himself. "I would never hate you for that. I don't blame you. There's nothing I could say to Eric or anybody else that I wouldn't want you to hear. You have every right to listen in to anything. And if there's anything he can't say to you, then he sure as hell shouldn't be saying it to me. Don't feel bad about it. I'm not mad."

Levi sighed in relief, standing up straighter and kissing Eren on the jaw. What started as a chaste kiss quickly took a more intense turn, and soon Levi was passionately kissing and licking up and down Eren's throat, careful not to leave any marks, since the family would be returning in only a few days. Levi went from needing to be hugged and coddled to incredibly intense and dominant in less than a minute, and Eren suddenly found himself overwhelmed by Levi's aggression.

Before he knew it, Levi had him upstairs and on the bed. "Merry Christmas, Eren." He said, going in for a passionate kiss on the mouth.

"Happy Birthday, Levi." Eren whispered when Levi moved on to kiss down Eren's neck again.

Levi pulled away to look Eren in the eyes. "You remembered," he stated.

"Of course, I did. And I still have to give you your birthday present."

Levi shook his head and kissed his boyfriend again, much sweeter this time around, though. "You didn't have to get me a birthday present. The picture books were more than enough for both occasions for the next four lifetimes."

Eren chuckled and wrapped his arms around Levi's neck above him. "Oh, I didn't buy anything as far as gifts go." Before Levi knew it, he had his head on a pillow, and Eren was hovering above him. Levi's eyes widened in surprise, and Eren chuckled at his expression. "Don't worry, I won't do anything you don't approve of, but tonight I'm going to make you dinner. I did buy wine when I went to the store the other day, your favorite, of course, and tonight will be all about you."

Levi relaxed into his pillow and smiled lovingly up at Eren. "I love you so much. I hope you know that."

Eren chuckled and leaned in to kiss Levi again. He felt like his heart was going to burst when he saw that expression on his older boyfriend's face. "I love you, too."

Levi held Eren close, and, for the first time since his first time, let someone else take the lead. Eren would take care of him that night, in every way imaginable. Levi would remember it as the best birthday he had ever had.


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey Guys! So this chapter is a lot of random, fluffy stuff that happens between holidays for our boys. Be warned, this chapter is so fluffy it might rot your teeth or stuff a life-sized teddy bear. Take your pick. There's guns, hot tub sitting, new glasses, and they even make a bit of a mess (that's my favorite part of this chapter). Anyways, I hope you all enjoy, and don't forget to Favorite, Follow, and Review! ~HeartQueenVivaldi**

Never Regret

Chapter 23

Shots rang out in the enclosed space, and Eren decided it was loud, even with his ear protection. Levi had a pistol in his hand and fired confidently at the target, one shot after another until the mag had emptied. When it was over, Levi placed the gun down on the stand in front of him and pulled his ear protection off his head to hang around his neck and put his safety glasses on his head. Eren followed suit, and Levi pushed the button that brought the target to them.

Eren couldn't even see any bullet holes and looked to Levi skeptically. The older man pointed at the bullseye, and Eren's jaw dropped. The bullseye was almost completely blown away. Nonexistent. Only a small section in the upper right remained. "You did that?" He asked in amazement.

Levi chuckled and answered, "yes, I did that. But I've had a lot of practice. Would you like to try?"

Eren shrunk a little at the suggestion. "I've never shot a gun before."

Levi rolled his eyes, "I know that, brat. I want to teach you."

Eren's eyes lit up, and he nodded quickly. Levi chuckled at Eren's excitement, and switched Eren places, so Eren was in front of the range, and Levi off to the side where he could observe. "Now, I'm going to teach you how to reload and fire, but first I want you to tell me what the most important rule is when using a gun."

Eren remembered Levi telling him this on Christmas eve. "Never treat a gun as a joke, and always treat a gun as if it's loaded."

Levi nodded. "Very good. That means you never point a gun where?"

"At something you don't intend to shoot at." Eren answered immediately. This was all pretty common sense, but he assumed these ruled existed because people are so stupid sometimes.

"Which means you should point a gun, loaded or not, away from all people, objects that can ricochet a bullet, water, or anything like it."

"Why water?" Eren asked curiously.

"Water is capable of making a bullet ricochet. The only time I've ever fired into water has been when I've been shooting fish, but there's a whole set of rules for that, too." Levi explained calmly, "and you never shoot fish with a pistol. A .22 rifle or a shotgun are the only options when it comes to it for that."

Eren nodded in understanding. "So that's why you laid the gun down facing downrange."

Levi nodded and smiled proudly at his boyfriend. "Very good. You paid attention." Levi proceeded to show Eren how to reload the magazine, and replace it into the gun, how to cock the gun correctly, and what to do when ready to fire. "I put the safety on when I finished shooting, so you'll have to remove it." He pointed to the lever safety, and Eren pushed it down so that the red dot was showing, "red to fire." Levi repeated. "red means danger."

Eren nodded and pointed the gun at the new target Levi had put up for him after replacing his ear protectors and glasses. Levi adjusted his stance a little, stood back, gave Eren a few instructions, and told him to fire once. Eren did and looked completely taken aback. Levi had warned him there was a kick, and to support his arms, but Eren still hadn't expected it. He looked at Levi with wide eyes, and the older man couldn't help but laugh.

Eren started to turn towards Levi, but the older man stopped him almost immediately. "Remember to keep pointing downrange. Or put the gun down." Eren nodded and put the gun down gingerly. Levi took it to put the safety back on, then put it down again. "That was good for a first shot."

"Did I even hit the target?"

Levi looked back downrange at the target for a moment, then turned back to face Eren, "you hit the paper, but not any of the rings."

Eren looked a little dejected, but Levi immediately launched into a new lecture. "It's okay, it was your first ever shot, and you did really well. Most people don't even hit the paper. The kick scares them too much, and they end up jerking at the last second. You actually did well. Don't worry about it. Why don't you try again, now that you know what to expect?"

The younger man took a deep breath and took up the weapon again. He removed the safety as he had been taught and took aim. He breathed in, and fired as he exhaled, as per Levi's instructions. This time Levi nodded, looking impressed. "Well done, much closer. Now fire two or three in a row. Just pull the trigger, let it out half way and pull again." Eren did as he was told and fired three shots in a row. At this point, Levi told him to keep going, and finish out the mag.

When the gun clicked quietly, Levi had him put the safety back on, and place it back on the bench in front of them. The removed their safety gear again, and Levi pushed the button to bring Eren's target to them. Eren had actually hit the bullseye twice, and the others were all within the rings. Only one was outside the rings, and that had been his first one.

Levi leaned in to kiss Eren's cheek once and whisper in his ear, "see, you did so well. I'm proud of you, baby."

Eren's face lit up with the compliment and asked eagerly, "can I do it again?"

Levi chuckled and put up a new target. This time he let Eren do as much as he could by himself. Eren loaded the gun on his own, cocked it back, and took his stance. He only stopped to ask Levi if his position was correct. The older said yes, and Eren proceeded to shoot multiple times.

Eren and Levi continued to put up new targets and took turns shooting until they were out of bullets, and then they had no choice but to stop, pack up, and head out. Before going, Levi replaced his mag of expensive, hollow point bullets and holstered the pistol at his hip, where it had resided since taking it out of the safe. They discarded the empty boxes on their way out to the parking lot.

"Would you really shoot someone if you had to?" Eren asked on the way out to the car.

Levi didn't even have to think about it before he answered. "Yes."

Eren raised one eyebrow, "really? Would you kill someone?"

Levi nodded, looking out ahead of him, "If my own life, or the life of someone I cared about was in danger, I would, without hesitation, shoot to kill. I think I would first try to incapacitate by shooting the legs, or something like that, but if they kept coming, I would absolutely aim to kill."

"Is that illegal if it's self-defense?"

"It depends on the situation. If I were anywhere but my own house I would do my damnedest to try not to kill. But I have a right to kill anyone who breaks into my house, no matter the intentions of the trespasser."

"I've never really understood much about that kind of thing, probably because I've never owned a gun, or even held one before I met you. It sounds like there's a lot more to guns than what I've seen up to this point."

"There is." Levi unlocked the car, and they both slid into their seats.

"Do you have a concealed carry permit?" Eren's questions continued as Levi started the car and drove away.

"I do." Levi was happy to answer all questions Eren could throw at him. "But I don't carry on my person all the time. I do if I go somewhere crowded, like malls, concerts, and sometimes bars. Other than that, I don't need to. I almost always have a gun within reach at all times. I even have one strapped underneath the keyboard at the dorms."

"Do you have one close right now, other than the one on your hip, I mean?"

Levi nodded yet again, "Two. One in the glove box in front of you, and one here in the center console."

Eren raised an eyebrow and opened the glove box. He didn't see it at first, but sure enough, tucked into the corner was a black pistol in a case. When he opened the center console there was another gray pistol there. "You take this gun thing very seriously. This also means that the guns you told me about on Christmas eve were just the ones in the house itself." Levi nodded in confirmation. Eren sat back, thoroughly impressed and running out of questions.

"Do you want to stop for lunch on the way back?" Levi changed the subject, sensing Eren's lack of new questions to ask.

Eren nodded, "yeah, I am pretty hungry. What's good around here?"

"I have some ideas." Levi replied, and they went off to eat, ending up at a sushi place about ten minutes from the house. Of course, Levi paid, and Eren protested until it was too late to change anything. He pouted all the way home about it, and Levi could only chuckle at the younger man. "Oh, stop with the pouting. Just say thank you and move on. I wanted to pay, so that's that."

"Fine…" Eren said finally, begrudgingly, "Thank you for the food, Levi."

"You're welcome, Eren."

They returned home, and Levi led Eren inside, where they decided to go out to sit in the hot tub, naked as usual, when they were alone, anyways. It had become rather boring the last few days around the house without having to clean or prepare for so many people to stay over. They weren't having as many people for New Years. The Jaegers were taking a flight home on New Year's Eve, because they had something come up at last minute that they needed to head home for. Grisha, Carla, and Ella would all be there, and Mikasa was bringing Armin, but Erwin and Mike were also not going to make it to go see Mike's family, along with Hanji, who was spending the holiday with her parents. This holiday would be a lot more relaxed with a lot fewer people, and Levi wasn't as worried about everything being immaculate this time around.

Eren was excited that he would be seeing Armin again, since they hardly saw each other anymore. They last time they had seen each other was a Saturday nearly two months earlier. They had only gone to lunch somewhere between campuses, but that had been the only time they had to see each other. Armin's schedule had become increasingly more insane with every week in school, and even if Eren wasn't swamped, Armin surely was.

Levi had also become more relaxed about having Bear the dog in his house. He quickly learned that the dog didn't shed, and he was incredibly well behaved over the last sleepover. Eren was glad to see Levi becoming more relaxed around his family. He could tell that things had changed. Before, like at Thanksgiving, the older man had been polite, courteous, and rather formal with his family. Now he was more willing to joke around with his dad and Mikasa. Ella had quickly become one of Levi's best friends over the last week, and Carla had become a mother of sorts for him, which is something he hadn't ever really had.

Because of so much change, not just in Levi, but in the plans as well, it made for a rather boring week leading up to the next holiday. They had tried to find things to keep themselves occupied, but with the cold weather, no jobs, and no homework, there was only so much to do. Levi would play the piano when he woke up for a few hours every morning, then make Eren some coffee for when he woke up, and then they would make breakfast together. After that, they were typically at a loss.

The day after Christmas they had spent lounging around doing absolutely nothing, messing with gifts and watching movies they didn't even pay attention to. The next day they had gotten really bored and went for a walk, from which they had returned practically frozen. They decided not to do that again. They ended up just watching more cheesy movies.

Finally, on the third day, Levi had announced at breakfast that if he didn't do something other than play the piano and watch a movie, he would explode, so he would be taking Eren to the shooting range. And that experience led to where they were now, content to sit naked in the hot tub in the back yard with Eren in Levi's lap, licking his way into the older male's mouth.

Levi groaned as Eren rutted against him and had to stop him before things got too out of control. Levi really didn't have a desire to clean the hot tub of strange fluids that were sure to be present sooner rather than later. "If that's what you want, why don't we move this party to the bedroom?" Levi asked against Eren's lips.

Eren sighed and pulled away, the contemplation visible in his eyes. He eventually concluded, "no, I'm warm here. We can get to the sexy stuff later."

Levi laughed and lifted Eren from his lap to place him in his own spot. "Then try to keep the sexual urges to a minimum for the moment."

Eren pouted, but he settled with kissing Levi one more time on the cheek and sat back in his spot, letting the jets massage any knots out of his back. He also found that his wrists hurt a little from shooting. "Are my wrists and hands supposed to hurt this bad just from holding a gun?"

Levi chuckled and answered, "It's just because you aren't used to it. The kick causes a lot of strain on the wrists the first few times, just trying to hold it steady. I kind of expected your wrists and shoulders to be a little sore."

Eren just nodded and closed his eyes, enjoying the heat of the water. He opened his eyes a few minutes later to see Levi in a similar state of relaxation. His eyes were closed and his breathing even. If Eren didn't know better, he would have thought the man to be asleep. But he knew Levi well enough to know that Levi couldn't fall asleep just anywhere. It had to be in a bed with clean sheets, complete darkness, and silence. The only source of noise he could sleep with was Eren's soft breathing next to him. Any small noises would wake him up, or any sudden movements from his sleeping partner. The king-sized bed helped with reducing the number of times Levi would wake up to Eren's movements, but he still woke up at least once every night from Eren rolling over.

Eren always knew when Levi was extra tired, because he would find him in a light sleep on the couch, having fallen asleep while watching TV or doing homework. But Levi wasn't tired like that now, since they had spent three days laying around doing absolutely nothing. While Levi was what Eren called a "picky sleeper," Eren was absolutely not. He could fall asleep anywhere, in any conditions, under any circumstance. It always amazed Levi, but he almost always let Eren continue to sleep, sitting close by reading a book or going over sheet music.

After another half an hour of just lounging in the hot tub, Eren started to feel too warm, so stood from his spot. Levi cracked an eye open to watch Eren move toward their towels, well, more like watch Eren's tight ass walk away. When Eren turned around, Levi's eyes shot up, and Eren shook his head, "like what you see?" he asked.

Levi stood as well to approach Eren. "definitely," was his reply. He took his own towel and stepped out of the hot water with Eren close behind. He replaced the cover as quickly as he could and followed Eren inside and up to their bedroom. They stepped in the shower to wash the chlorine off, and Levi finally let Eren be frisky.

They returned downstairs sometime later, and Eren wanted to finally break into his new art set that Levi had given him. Levi had similar feeling for the binder of sheet music "Santa" had given him. So, they retreated to the piano room where Eren made himself comfortable on the couch, and Levi at the piano bench.

Eren took out one of his paint canvases and started to sketch out what he wanted with a light pencil. He looked up at one point when Levi stopped playing and had to keep himself from laughing. Levi was leaning forward, squinting at the music in front of him. He then shook his head and leaned back a little more than usual, clearly trying to find the right spot where he could see the music.

Eren couldn't help it and chuckled a little. "Need some glasses, old man?" he joked.

Levi turned his head to glare at his younger boyfriend, but he didn't say anything and turned back to his music. Eren saw a very light shade of red creep up to Levi's cheeks, and Eren's smile faded. "Wait, do you really need glasses?"

Levi sighed and turned the page in his music to a new piece with larger notes. He contemplated for a minute. "Probably. I've noticed that I can't sit in the back of the class anymore, because I can't see the board, and it's getting harder to read sheet music. I probably just need some readers, but I haven't wanted to admit that just yet. I guess now that even you have noticed, I probably should go to the eye doctor and see what they say."

Eren hummed quietly and put his canvas down to approach Levi and wrap his arms around him from behind. He kissed the top of Levi's head and said, "well, it's better to just go get glasses. It's better on your eyes to not have to strain them. I bet there's an eye doctor open tomorrow. Why don't you see if you can make an appointment?"

Levi sighed and nodded in agreement. "Okay. I've never been to an eye doctor before. Have you?"

Eren nodded. "Yeah. I had a lazy eye when I was younger that I grew out of, but only because I had an eye doctor to help correct it. I wore glasses for a while that made my eye work right."

"What do they do?" Levi asked, and Eren had his suspicions.

"Are you nervous?"

"I don't like doctors. I never have, so I don't go unless I have to. Doctors' offices are gross. And the ones Kenny would take Eric and I to as kids were always so mean. I've never been much of a fan of any kind of doctor." Levi replied, and Eren nodded.

Eren moved to sit next to Levi at the piano. "Well, an eye doctor is nothing like a medical doctor. They are very kind. They just have you look into this machine and ask some questions. They do the poster thing where they have you read the letters from a certain distance away. That's really it, then they recommend a strength that would be best for you. It's like twenty minutes tops."

Levi sighed and pulled his phone out of his pocket. The two searched for a clinic close by with good reviews, and Levi called to make an appointment. He was able to get one for the next day, and when he hung up he leaned against Eren. "Am I really getting so old that I need glasses?"

Eren chuckled and ran his fingers up Levi's side. "Needing glasses doesn't make you old. You're only twenty-seven for crying out loud. Some people just need glasses."

Levi bit his lip and asked quietly, "will you come with me?"

Eren smiled at his older boyfriend, grateful that he was warming up to him enough to show Eren some of his insecurity. "Of course, I will, Levi."

…..

The next day, Eren stepped out of the car with Levi, and they walked into the eye clinic. Eren could tell Levi was nervous but was trying to hide it. "It's gonna be alright. There's nothing to worry about."

Levi took a deep breath. "I know, but I can't help it." Levi went to the reception desk, and a kind, older lady helped him check in and gave him some forms to fill out. He went to sit by Eren to fill it out, but found that he could barely see it, so gave it to Eren to fill out instead of trying to find that sweet spot where he could see it.

Eren helped diligently and handed the forms back to Levi once they were completed. He took them back up to the receptionist, who told him it would only be a few more minutes, and the doctor would be out to get him.

He had barely been sitting for a minute when the door leading to the back opened, and a doctor in a white coat came out to call Levi's name. Eren followed Levi, and they were allowed back. The doctor, Dr. Brzenska as her nametag said, was very kind, asking about Eren and Levi and their relationship, and smiling kindly when they would answer. She had Levi stand down the hallway from a poster on the wall and asked what the letters were. He could see the first three lines, and the rest were blurry.

Dr. Brzenska took notes and led him into a room with a machine that kind of looked like massive binoculars. She had Levi sit in the chair, and the rest of the examination began. There were lots of questions, and looking into the strange machine, which Levi didn't totally understand.

And just like Eren had told him, about twenty minutes later Dr. Brzenska had come to a decision. "Well, Levi, it seems you were right. You mostly need glasses to read and see the board while in school. You have a sweet spot where you can see clearly, and most people do, but you are lucky that yours is rather large." She handed him a piece of paper. "You can get this prescription if you would like that will help you see the board in class, but I also recommend some readers. Bifocals wouldn't be a bad idea either." She laughed when Levi made a face. "Don't worry, bifocals aren't so bad any more. They never used to look good because they had to be two different pieces of glass, but now with technology, you can't even tell that they are bifocals at all. Or you can just get two sets of glasses. Whatever works for you is what you should do."

Levi nodded, and stood up. They shook hands, and Levi told her thank you. They left after Levi had decided on two separate pairs of glasses, and he chose a frame for his prescription glasses. The receptionist told him they would be ready the day after the New Year, and they stopped at a drug store to pick up some cheap readers on their way home.

When they got home, Levi went to look at himself in the mirror with his new glasses on, and Eren could see the turmoil. He wrapped his arms around Levi's waist and smiled at him through the mirror. "They look sexy."

Levi rolled his eyes and reached to take them off. Eren stopped him. "No, don't. They look really good. Your others will look similar, right?" Levi nodded, and Eren smiled, kissing Levi's cheek. "Good. They look amazing. I may even prefer the glasses look."

Levi sighed and turned in Eren's arms. "What would I do without you?" the older man asked while burying his face in Eren's chest.

"Strain your eyes trying to see without glasses," Eren joked, and Levi scoffed, pulling away. Eren let him for the moment so that they could make themselves some lunch.

While they sat at the bar eating their sandwiches, Levi decided to remind Eren of what was coming. "We should do some light dusting before everyone comes back tomorrow."

Eren thought about it and realized that Levi was right. New Years eve was coming the next day, and they had been ridiculously lazy over the last four days. There wasn't much for dust, but Levi was a clean freak for himself, so he was bound to be just a little worse when it came to guests. "That's true. But it's not like we have everyone coming. It's my parents, grandma, Mikasa, and Armin. It's not that big of a deal."

"Oh yeah, your friend is coming, so we should really change the sheets on one of the beds, and while we are at it we might as well clean the sheets on all beds that were used. We can leave the ones that will be reused, though."

"Levi, Armin won't care. He's like me. He doesn't care what a place looks like as long as it is tidy and not covered in thick dust. The three specks of dust on the piano aren't going to gross him out. And quite frankly it shouldn't gross you out either. It's just dust."

"Just dust, huh?" Levi asked, raising a brow. "Do you know what dust is?"

"Yeah, yeah. It's dead skin, dirt particles and animal and human hair. I know."

"It's disgusting. I don't like dust."

Eren couldn't help but chuckle at Levi's scrunched face. "You are such a clean freak, Levi. It's actually really funny, and rather endearing, as strange as that sounds."

"Have you lost your mind?" Eren laughed again, and Levi continued. "You're crazy, Brat. Now stop laughing at me or I'll cut out your tongue and throw it down the garbage disposal."

Eren didn't even seem fazed by the threat and just gave Levi a look that made the older man nervous. His eyes had this shine to them that Levi didn't like the look of. "But if you did that how would I give you any more of those amazing blow jobs that you beg me for on a regular basis?"

The phrase accomplished what Eren had wanted to accomplish, as a dusting of red covered Levi's cheeks, growing darker the longer Eren stared him down with seductive eyes. Levi stammered a little, "h-hey! I'm not… I don't… I'm never having sex with you again, you damn brat."

Eren chuckled and muttered, "give it a shot, and let me know how that goes for you," then turned back to his sandwich to take a big bite.

Levi turned and spotted his glass of water on the counter in front of him, and he figured he would end up cleaning up a mess here pretty quick, but it would so be worth it to see Eren's face when he did it. He lifted the glass to his lips, taking one last sip, but didn't put it down. Instead he took what was left in the glass and splashed it on Eren, hitting him right in the face.

Eren almost fell off his stool in surprise. He gasped loudly, and his jaw dropped. He looked over at Levi with disbelief written all over his face. His expression changed from disbelief to mischievous in the blink of an eye, and before Levi could stop him, Eren had reached for his own, much fuller glass and had poured it over Levi's head, drenching his hair and leaving water spots on his new glasses.

Levi pursed his lips, accepting his fate for now. He reached for his sandwich and got another idea. He took the top piece of bread off and stuck it to Eren's face with the mustard on the one side. Eren peeled it off, and Levi jumped off his stool before Eren could fully process what had just happened. He walked around the bar to observe Eren from a distance.

Eren, not one to give in, decided it would be fun to keep up this little game. He also dismounted his stool and entered the kitchen from the other side of the island, opposite from Levi. There happened to be a bag of flour on the counter that Levi had been using to make breading for the chicken they would make for dinner that night. He reached for it as quickly as he could. When Levi realized what Eren was doing he surged forward, trying to stop Eren from doing it.

He was too late. Eren had reached into the bag and grabbed a large handful of flour. And Levi was right in front of him, so he threw it onto his wet boyfriend, and it stuck to him like glue. His bangs were almost completely white from flour, and it settled in the creases of his eye-lids and on stuck to the remaining drops of water on his face. When Levi opened his eyes, Eren already had another handful of the powder and repeated the action to the very top of his head so it would settle in his hair completely, and on top of his shoulders and down his back.

This time Levi was sensible enough to not close his eyes and take the bag from Eren. He yanked it out of the younger's hands and dumped the last of it (what little was left in the bag) over Eren's own head. Now the kitchen and themselves were completely covered in white flour, but it wasn't over yet. Eren grabbed the spray nozzle from the sink and turned it on, spraying it towards Levi. The older man let out a low, surprised scream and tried to take the nozzle away, but ended up making things worse.

Before long they were both soaked, covered in flour, and still wrestling for control of the nozzle. But now that the floor was both wet and covered in fine powder, it caused them to start slipping around. Before either of them could register what had happened they were laying on the kitchen floor in a heap with Levi on top and the spray nozzle hanging in front of the cabinet.

Levi got up onto his elbows where he could glare down at his young, mischievous boyfriend. The younger burst out laughing, and Levi couldn't help but follow suit. Pretty soon they were both crying from laughing so hard and ended up kissing each other passionately.

"Now, how many people can say they've had a water fight with their boyfriend in the kitchen?" Eren chuckled again, and Levi just laughed with him.

"Probably not like that. Not ones that include flour." Levi leaned down to kiss Eren again. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Hey, you started it. You can't blame me for this one."

"I guess that's true, isn't it?" Levi chuckled. "It was so worth it, though. Your face was priceless."

Eren was about to retort when something totally unexpected happened, and they could hear the door leading to the garage open, and someone gasp. "What in the hell happened here?"

Levi and Eren got up from the floor as quickly as they could to see Ella Schmidt standing in the entry with Bear next to her. "Grandma, what are you doing here?" Eren asked, surprised to see his grandmother here so early.

"Well, I knew you two weren't going anywhere, so I decided to come early. I hope you don't mind."

Levi shook his head. "Not a problem."

"What on earth happened in here?" Ella returned to the original subject now that she had explained her presence in the house.

Eren spoke up before Levi could, "Levi started a water fight."

Levi whipped his head around, "yeah, but you are the one who went for the flour."

"You smeared my cheek with mustard!" Eren retorted, pointing to his left cheek.

Levi just laughed. "Like I said. It was so worth it. It was a lot of fun." Then he started looking around the kitchen and realized what a mess they had made. There was flour on literally every surface of the kitchen, and water mixed with it all over the floor. Their sandwiches still sat unfinished, and were probably no longer edible, since they were covered with flour, and Eren's was soaking in a puddle of water on his plate. They had quite a project on their hands now, "but we do have quite the mess to clean up."

Eren looked around, too, and took a hand towel from where it hung on the handle of one of the ovens. He used it to wipe the flour and mustard off his face, then handed it to Levi who did the same. "We better get started, then."

"You two have fun cleaning this up. I have no desire to clean up wet flour. I'm going to head up to my room to drop off my bag. I'll come talk with you while you clean though."

Levi chuckled, "Okay. Sounds good."

Ella disappeared around the corner and her footsteps could be heard retreating up the stairs. Eren sighed and decided he might as well just get out of his dirty clothes, or he would end up making more messes as he cleaned them up. He pulled his shirt over his head and shook it out while the kitchen was still dirty. He did the same with his pants and socks and retreated to the laundry room. Levi caught on to what he was doing and followed suit. They put their clothes right into the washing machine and traded them out for new ones before returning to the kitchen to start cleaning.

When they returned, Ella was back and brushing flour off of one of the stools so that she could sit on it, and happily conversed with Eren and Levi while they cleaned for the next several hours. There was flour everywhere, and it was a tedious task to clean up the stuff that had been mixed with water.

Even though it was a lot, Eren was glad to be cleaning up a mess like that. It said a lot about Levi and how much the man had changed. When he met Levi, he never would have done anything like that, much less started it. It made Eren glad that he could bring out a side of Levi that he previously hadn't even known existed.


	24. Chapter 24

Never Regret

Chapter 24

"Armin!" Eren cried when he opened the door. It was New Year's Eve, and Eren had just gone to get the door when the doorbell rang. He embraced his best friend, and the blond stepped into the house with Eren. Mikasa followed close behind. "How are you?"

"I'm doing great, Eren! Glad to be done with school for the moment, but of course, we have to go back next week, then it's back to busy." Armin looked around at his surroundings. "But look at you. You're dating the guy you used to complain to me about on a daily basis, and it seems he's not exactly poor."

Eren laughed. "Well, you're not wrong. But come in and close the door. Grandma is making lunch." Armin and Mikasa hung up their coats and shoes, and they followed Eren into the kitchen with their suitcases. Ella gave Mikasa and Armin each a huge hug, and Levi came around the corner. When Armin spotted him, he shrunk a little, still nervous around the older man, especially after how mean he was at their last encounter.

But it turned out he had nothing to fear. Levi smiled at him, if only a little, and apologized for his previous behavior. He still made Armin nervous, but he could tell something had changed since the last time they met. Eren approached the older man and glommed onto him from behind, his arms wrapped around Levi's waist, and his chin resting on his shoulder. He turned his head a little to give Levi a firm kiss on the cheek that Levi simply scoffed at. Armin had half-expected a violent reaction, but it seemed that Eren could get away with such behavior.

"Why don't you show Armin to the guest room he'll be staying in?" Levi asked.

"Kay." Eren said and made Levi look at him, only to plant a kiss on the lips.

"What are you after?" Levi asked when Eren pulled away from his lips. "Not that I necessarily mind the affection."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Levi." Eren responded, detaching himself from Levi's back and signaling Armin to follow him.

Armin caught up to Eren as he walked down the hallway and up the stairs. "So, he doesn't make you nervous anymore at all?"

Eren laughed at Armin's reaction and answered, "not really. Only if I were to royally piss him off, which hasn't happened yet, so no reason to worry." He led Armin to his room, the one that had been for Erwin and Mike the week before, and let him in. He followed his best friend into the room and sat on the bed while Armin started to make himself at home. "I can see why he would still make others nervous though. Especially when he was so mean to those others previously."

"He literally scared us away from the dorms at the beginning of the year." Armin retorted, and Eren didn't reject the statement at all.

Mikasa walked in the room then and joined the conversation, "It's funny, but I actually get along with him really well, now. Well, I didn't until he told me we were related by blood, and he apologized for being such a jerk that day. But now, I can actually see him as family. And I get along with his brother even more than I get along with him."

"I want to meet Eric," Armin said. "Is he coming tonight?"

Eren shook his head, "no. He and his boyfriend were going to spend the night with some of their friends."

"That's too bad." Mikasa said sadly, and Eren could tell she really wanted to see the older Ackerman. They had gotten along amazingly the last weekend and had become fast friends.

Eren laughed and said, "I'm sure you'll see him again soon enough." He stood and walked to the door to go back downstairs. "I should go help with dinner prep. Levi's got a roast going for French dip sandwiches, and mom will be bringing some crab legs. There's also some salads that need made and stuff."

"Do you need help?" Armin asked.

"Don't know. Let's go talk to Grandma and Levi and find out."

The trio returned downstairs to help with dinner and found that there wasn't much to do for the moment. Carla and Grisha had arrived while they had been upstairs, and they weren't expecting anyone else. They all decided to watch a movie in the living room. Eren and Levi fell asleep about half way through, and Armin couldn't help but chuckle.

When he looked over, Eren had been lounging against Levi, the two of them taking up the love seat, and Eren had fallen asleep with his head on Levi's right shoulder, and Levi had his head resting on Eren's with his eyes closed. Levi seemed to hear Armin's chuckle, and his eyes opened and zeroed in on the blond coconut. He sent the younger an amused look and closed his eyes again.

So, Levi wasn't asleep, but Eren definitely was. His breathing was heavy and even, and in his position, he was also snoring lightly. Levi didn't seem to mind, and only relaxed further onto Eren.

When the movie ended, Levi woke Eren up easily with a kiss on the top of his head and rubbing his back. The brunet groaned but stretched and opened his eyes. He turned in his spot to kiss Levi sweetly on the lips, still groggy from his nap.

"Sleep good?" Levi asked quietly into Eren's ear.

"hm." He groaned again into Levi's shoulder.

Levi chuckled. "I take that as a yes." He kissed Eren one more time on the top of the head and started to push Eren off, so he could get up to check the roasts. Eren clung to him tighter, trying to prevent his pillow from wandering off. It worked for a minute, but Levi was stronger than he was, so ultimately was able to pry Eren off of him. The younger pouted up at his older boyfriend and Levi rolled his eyes. "I have to check the roasts, Baby. We wouldn't want dinner to burn, now would we?"

Eren huffed exaggeratedly, "Let it burn. I want cuddles." Just then Eren's stomach growled, contradicting his words.

Levi chuckled softly. "No, I think I'll go check on dinner." He knelt down to kiss Eren on the cheek then stood and walked away.

When he was out of sight Eren looked over to see Armin smiling at him from his place on the leather chair. "What?" Eren asked.

Armin just shook his head and laughed. "He's much nicer than I remember him being. And you two are absolutely adorable."

Eren rolled his eyes and sat up. "Levi is… complicated. He can be hard to live with sometimes, and he has a lot of strange habits and tendencies. He's rude, arrogant, completely ridiculous, and sometimes just plain mean. But I can get past all that now. I see why he's that way, and it makes sense. I can't say I would be any different after everything he's been through. I can't tell you much about his past, because it's up to him to tell people if he wants to, but I will tell you he's been through hell. And even though he's cold, and arrogant, and all that other stuff, he's also kind, thoughtful, caring, observant, and quick to step in and help. Did I ever tell you about the time I watched him chase after a piece of paper for a young girl that had dropped her things on campus?" Armin shook his head. "Probably not, because it was such a normal thing to do, but so many people just kept walking, ignoring the poor girl chasing after papers that were scattering everywhere. Levi stopped. He helped her pick up her things and chased a piece of paper that had blown away in a gust of wind. She still smiles and waves at him whenever she sees him around campus. He has a good heart, he just has a hard time wanting to let it show."

Armin smiled at his best friend. "It's good to know that they Levi we met on move-in day wasn't the real Levi. Do you think he was just putting on a face?"

Eren thought about it for a moment before giving an answer. "Partly. He can still be scary like he was that day. He gets angry about things being out of place, not throwing a used towel in the hamper, or any other kind of mess. But he's not as unpleasant about it as he was then. He would still probably get after me for a stupid pizza box, but at least now he would be nicer about it. It takes a lot to get Levi to warm up to someone new, and it takes a lot of work to get to a place where he sees you as someone worth getting along with, but it's just because he doesn't want to lose anyone else that is close to him. He's already lost too many of those. I truly believe, in his head, he thinks that if he doesn't get close to anyone, then he also doesn't have anyone to lose. But that's an awfully lonely existence, and I also think he's realized that. I just want him to realize that having friends and family are worth it. They're a pain in the ass. They can be mean, and stupid, and they can hurt you. But it's worth it to not be alone forever."

"I do believe that now." Levi plopped down next to Eren, and the brunet jumped a little. "Did I startle you?"

Eren nodded. "yeah. I didn't know you were there, or that you were listening. How much did you hear?"

"From where you said that it's hard for me to warm up to new people." Eren pursed his lips, but Levi just chuckled. "What you said is true. I won't deny it. I've never been good at making friends, and when I do have friends, I always seem to lose them, or they break my trust. I've never been good at trusting people, and I can hardly imagine what would happen to me if, say, Eren were to break that trust. I would probably close myself off from everyone for a very long time. I want to believe, more than anything, that having friends is better than being alone, but I'm still working on that. I still worry every day that something is going to happen, that I'm going to lose Eren, or Hanji, or Erwin, or that they are going to hurt me, just like everyone else always has. My own brother still doesn't have my trust. I mean, he's an asshole, but beyond that, he's just not trustworthy any more after what he's done."

"He seemed really nice to me when I met him last weekend." Eren chimed in.

"Last weekend he was on his best behavior, and I honestly think that was mostly thanks to Cory. It was actually kind of funny to watch him do whatever Cory told him to do. He was like a puppy following his master's orders. It was cute, and rather amusing. He's so in love, and it's adorable." Levi chuckled at the memory of Cory asking Eric to go get him seconds at breakfast, and Eric had done it without question, protest, or reservation. He had put down his own plate and immediately gone to cater to Cory's every need."

"Okay, but back to trust. I'm glad you've found it in you to trust me, if only a little." Eren kissed Levi on the cheek, and the raven smiled warmly.

"The only thing we are allowed to do is believe that we won't regret the choice we've made." Levi stated. "It's something I tell myself a lot. There are some things I used to regret, but I never want to regret anything ever again. I've learned that the choices we make are our own, and we cannot regret them no matter what. I want to make the right choices, and I truly believe that I have this time around." He turned to look at Eren, face serious, "No regrets. I'll Never Regret."

5 months later

Levi couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as an empty diploma folder was handed to him by the dean of Trost University. He shook the tall man's hand and a photo was taken. The graduate had multiple heavy cords hanging from his neck, and he had complained to Eren earlier that he looked stupid in a "retarded hat and dress" as he had put it. Eren had disagreed, telling him he looked handsome before going to find his seat.

Eren wasn't the only one there, either. Eric and Cory had come to support Levi, because Eric was really trying the be the brother he was meant to be, the brother he had been when they were young and fending for themselves. Carla had come and brought her mother as well, since Grisha had to take a shift at the hospital. Erwin and Hanji were also in the audience to support him in the best way they knew how: whistling loudly, obnoxiously as he walked across the stage as his name and degree were announced. He had everyone there that he wanted to be there, minus Grisha, and he couldn't be happier about it.

The ceremony ended, soon after Levi took his seat, their tassels were moved over, and they were released to go find their families. Levi found Eren and the others on the lawn out front, and they took turns giving him a great big hug. He tried to take his cap off, but Eren stopped him and made him keep it on. They took some pictures that would be added to Levi's photo albums. The collection of albums had grown over the last six months since Christmas, and he and Eren took tons of pictures to add to them every time they had the chance. Eren frequently caught Levi looking through all of them, smiling and chuckling every once in a while.

Levi had changed a lot in the time Eren had known him. The nine months he thought he would dread when he first met Levi became some of the best months of his life. They still fought over stupid things, and they had gotten into a few bigger fights that ended in Eren leaving the dorm or house to stay somewhere else for a night or two, so they could both calm down, but in they end they always made up and quickly forgot the whole thing even happened.

While Eren had noticed a lot of change in Levi, Levi had noticed even more in himself, and in Eren, too. They had both learned from their experiences and grown from them. Neither of them the same as when they had started out that year. This quickly became a topic of discussion as they walked to their cars to head to the Jaeger household where they were having a sort of graduation party for Levi.

Levi had also gotten the courage over the last few months to tell more people about some of the things he had been through in his life, including Kenny, Isabel and Farlan, and he also told Eren about the wrong Eric had done. Eren, as usual, had accepted the information with understanding and love, not judging him or criticizing him for the mistake.

They climbed into Levi's car, and Eren took the opportunity to remove Levi's cap for him and kiss him sweetly on the lips. "Congratulations, Levi."

"Thank you, Eren. You'll be there soon enough." Levi smiled as he pulled away and started the car.

"I know, but todays about you. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks." Levi reached out to take Eren's hand as they pulled out of the parking lot.

"So, what are we going to do next year?" Eren asked.

"What do you mean?" Levi asked, looking over at him from the corner of his eye.

"Well, you're graduated now. You can't exactly live in the dorms with me anymore." Eren pointed out, and Levi made an "o" shape with his mouth.

The older man hummed. "Well, we could get an apartment close to campus for the year, or whatever else you want to do. I'm up for anything."

Eren chuckled. "Whatever works, as long as we don't regret the choice we make, right?"

Levi smiled and nodded. "Yeah. No Regrets."

 **That's it, you guys. This is the last chapter of this fic, and I can't believe it's already over. It's been almost two years in the making, and 24 chapters of ups and downs. There will probably be a sequel that skips a bit of time and deals more directly with Levi and Eren's future plans, including marriage, jobs, maybe kids, and all of that good stuff. Let me know if you guys want to see something like that, and I just might make it happen. I love you guys, and thanks so much for all of the support! See you in the next story! ~HeartQueenVivaldi**

 **P.S. If you want to read more Ereri from me, I'm posting a new story called My Alpha. It's an M-rated story, so if you aren't into that, then stay away, but it's an omegaverse. Go find it if you like stories like that.**


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